‘Tea production in most big gardens has reached a saturation point’

A steady and judicious investment in tea estates is critical for survival of tea industry, according to M.G.V.K. Bhanu, who recently relinquished charge as Tea Board chairman..

Talking to Business Line here prior to relinquishing charge, Bhanu said: “When the going is good, as it is now, tea companies must set aside a sizeable portion of their surpluses for ploughing back in replantation and irrigation”.

An officer of the 1985-batch Indian Administrative Service and belonging to the Assam cadre, Bhanu joined as Chairman of Tea Board in November 2011 on a five-year term.

However, he has been called back to Assam on completion of only two years.

In the absence of regular investments on maintenance of tea estates, the production of green leaves would continue to decline putting crop prospects at stake.

Production in a majority of big gardens has virtually reached the saturation point, he said.

“Garden owners in North India must take care of their workers; otherwise there will be shortage of manpower as it has happened in south Indian gardens,” Bhanu said.

With alternative opportunities emerging, retaining workers was already proving to be a big challenge to growers in several states, he observed.

As small growers have started playing a crucial role in the country’s tea production, accounting for an estimated 35 per cent of the total, a larger allocation of government funds to these growers, in his view, has become imperative to ensure their growth and well-being; more so when the bulk of the projected increase in the country’s tea production in the coming years is to come from them.

Tea Board, he felt, would be required to pay more attention to it.

The Board, according to him, should consider larger allocation of funds also for tea promotion in the domestic market.

“The size of the country’s annual tea exports has remained virtually stagnant at around 200 million kg for the past half a century or so whereas the domestic demand is booming,” he said.

“Every year, an estimated 30 mkg of additional demand is being created within the country.

“However, export will continue to be important particularly for the quality and value-added tea and the focus should be on countries such as the US, Russia, Iran, Egypt and Kazakhstan.

“The opportunities held out by Pakistan should also be carefully explored.

Unfortunately, the production of quality tea is not increasing much because of the drop in plucking standards,” he said adding, “the climate change too is posing a major threat”.

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