Tocklai Experimental Station of Tea Research Association (TRA) organised a day-long national symposium on tea science, Sustainabilitea, at Silchar, Cachar, Assam, on Friday as part of its on-going centenary celebrations.

The focus of the symposium was to discuss the problems that might hinder the future growth of tea industry.

Issues which came up for discussion at the symposium included sustainable natural resource management in tea plantations amidst vagaries of climate change, irrigation and rain water harvesting, termite management in Cachar, mechanical plucking in North-eastern regions, enhancing the quality of tea and use of sensor-controlled electronic nose and vision to evaluate teas, he said.

Leading scientists from Central Research Institute of Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad, University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, Indian Council of Agricultural Research and TRA and about 200 planters from Assam and West Bengal were present.

Rising productivity

Emphasising the need for stepping up productivity in the organised tea sector hit by stagnation for the past 10 years or so, Mr D.P. Maheswari, Chairman of TRA, stated that TRA was working on a unique method of participatory method of plant breeding.

Branding Cachar tea

Mr A.N. Singh, Vice-Chairman of TRA, felt that inadequate branding and positioning was the major problem facing Cachar tea which was one of the cleanest teas produced in the country because of limited use chemicals. He urged Tea Board to do some brand building exercise for Cachar tea.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW