The Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers’ Association (CISTGA) has sought the intervention of the Tea Board of India and the state government so that bought leaf factories pay the minimum benchmark price for green tea leaves.
Achyut Prasad Gogoi, secretary of CISTA said in the past couple of months, bought leaf factories had not been paying small tea growers the minimum benchmark price fixed by the Tea Board of India.
“In this connection, we are seeking that the minimum price is paid to us because if this trend continues then small tea growers will face an uncertain future,” Gogoi said.
He said the small tea growers have already suffered a lot this year due to the pandemic, consequent lockdowns and also scarcity of chemical fertilizers in the market.
Gogoi further said at the beginning of this year, the future had seemed more secure as global and domestic demand for tea increased due to tea being promoted as an immunity booster.
About 2.5 lakh workers and their families are dependent on tea in India but the scenario looks bleak with bought leaf factories not paying the minimum price fixed for green leaves.