Reported by Roopak Goswami
Guwahati: In a landmark move for Assam’s tea sector, the state government has included tea and plantation class land holdings in the Farmers’ Registry Portal, paving the way for lakhs of small tea growers to access Farmer IDs, government schemes, institutional credit, and agricultural services through a single digital platform.
Announcing the decision, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma termed it a “historic day” for the state’s small tea growers, saying the move would transform the lives of the “Chai Samuday” by bringing them under the ambit of government support systems.
The inclusion will enable small tea growers to obtain Farmer IDs, ensure timely and need-based access to fertilizers and government schemes, facilitate credit on better terms, and reduce dependence on intermediaries that often exploit growers.
“For generations, Assam’s small tea growers have strengthened the identity of Assam Tea through their hard work and dedication. Today, they contribute nearly half of the state’s tea production,” the Chief Minister said.
Small tea growers have become a key driver of Assam’s tea economy, accounting for nearly 50 per cent of the state’s total tea output. However, many of them have remained outside formal agricultural databases, limiting their access to institutional finance and welfare schemes.
The government’s decision is expected to bring thousands of growers into the formal agricultural ecosystem and improve the delivery of subsidies, credit, and extension services through a single platform.
The Chief Minister said the next focus would be to ensure that every eligible small tea grower is seamlessly integrated into the digital ecosystem so that they receive the benefits and support to which they are entitled.
Industry stakeholders have welcomed the move, saying it could significantly boost financial inclusion and provide much-needed institutional support to Assam’s rapidly expanding small tea grower community, which has emerged as the backbone of the state’s tea industry.