Tea owners urge Centre to include tea in public distribution system

Alipurduar: The tea garden owners’ organisation is going to submit a proposal to the Central government for tea to be provided through a public distribution system.

From January to June this year, more than 300 tea gardens from Darjeeling to Alipurduar have faced troubles due to extreme weather. Despite auctions, tea prices remain low. In response, the organisation will propose that the government buy tea directly and distribute it through rationing.

Chinmay Dhar, North Bengal Chairman of the Tea Association of India (TAI), stated: “With falling tea leaf prices, weak plantations are becoming weaker. 272 tea gardens in North Bengal are in crisis. Sugar is given in rations, but it’s not a filling food. We earlier suggested the government distribute tea through rations. We have an important meeting on June 18, where we will submit the proposal to the Central government. This can stop the black market and provide fair-priced tea to common people.”

Tea industry reports indicate disappointment in the last six auctions in Siliguri, with only 17 lakh kg of tea sold in the 23rd auction compared to 27 lakh kg last year. Tea owners expected CTC tea prices between Rs 220 and Rs 250 per kg, but 83 per cent sold for less than Rs 200 per kg.

Plantation owners demand that the Indian Tea Board set a minimum floor price for tea auctions to reduce losses. It is believed that selling tea through ration would benefit the industry as 120 crore people in India drink tea.

If the government bought tea directly from gardens, it would reduce dependency on auctions and minimise brokers’ influence on prices.

Additionally, tea gardens across North Bengal, who have seen a 90 per cent drop in production compared to last year due to extreme weather. Tea owners are frustrated with the tea board’s role. In this context, several tea owner associations have written to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, requesting subsidies on electricity bills and other support.