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A family-run tea estate in the Nilgiris has become the first one to get a special certification, Trusttea. The certification has been given to the Golden Hills Estates Private Ltd’s Erinkadu brand for its social and economic commitments to its workforce besides ensuring environmental protection and sustainability. The estate will also ensure safety of the workplace as well as the product.
Erinkadu is the second one after Wentworth Estate of Harrisons Malayalam to get the certification in South India. The latter has got the certification as a company run estate.
“This accreditation has brought laurels to the family. It was an uphill task, but we managed. We will continue to be guided by Trusttea in our efforts to maintain sustainability in tea,” said N Lakshman Chettiar, the third generation entrepreneur managing the Golden Hills Estates.
The estate comprises 121 hectares of tea with an orthodox factory, producing about 4 lakh kg of orthodox tea annually. Teas are sold in southern auction centres of Coonoor, Coimbatore and Kochi.
Lakshman Chettiar recalled the efforts taken by his father L Narayanan Chettiar in designing a solar roof over two decades ago. “This has helped us save some 37 per cent on fossil fuel consumption annually and contribute towards carbon credit.
“We have also developed a moisture sensor, which helps save power on the withers and gets the exact wither percentage,” he said.
Trusttea certificate has been initiated by IDH, the sustainable trade initiative.
When asked how many estates in India have been given the Trusttea certification, Rohinton Kurus Babaycon, Local Coordinator, Tea- India, said, three have bagged the certification since its launch in July 2013.
Two estates are in the South and one in the North. The official further said that the network is targeting to cover 600 tea factories, five lakh tea plantation workers, 40,000 small growers in two years time.
“Out of the 1.1 billion kg of tea produced in India, nearly 800-900 million kg consumed in the domestic market is not verified. This India-specific tea code developed for and by the industry, and championed by the Tea Board aims at creating a sustainable sector.
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