The Tea Board will focus on promoting development of mini and micro tea processing facilities, capable of producing 200-500 kg a day, by small tea growers, as part of its quality upgradation drive, .

capital subsidy Farmers can avail up to 40 per cent capital subsidy to set up such factories through self-help groups, according to the scheme.

Small growers currently sell their produce either to large plantations or bought-leaf-factories.

The factories are viewed with concern due to quality issues.

According to a senior Tea Board official, the project had earlier been rolled out as part of the “Quality upgradation and Product Development” campaign. To provide focus to implementation of the project, it will now be spearheaded by the newly-formed Small Tea Growers’ Development Directorate.

“We are awaiting the Planning Commission’s approval for announcement of the Small Growers Development Scheme to be operated by the directorate. Our focus this year will be to promote factory development by small tea growers,” the official told Business Line .

Figures available with the Tea Board show that production by small tea growers between April and November 2013 increased by nine per cent to 339 million kg, against 312 mkg during the corresponding period.

Buoyed by the growth in production, a slew of quality improvement initiatives have been taken up and these will be implemented by newly-recruited officers of the Directorate.

“While the development officers will regularly hold workshops and tea conventions to give lessons to teach small tea growers on quality improvement, some of them will be taken to Kenya and Sri Lanka to experience the global practices,” the Tea Board official said.

> ayan.pramanik@thehindu.co.in

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