Guwahati: In the tea-growing hills of Karbi Anglong, a group of women is exploring how processing the tea they already grow can help create better livelihood opportunities.
Nine women from four villages recently participated in a hands-on training programme organised by Aaranyak, where they learned to prepare handmade Green Tea and Orthodox Tea. The initiative aims to help small tea growers move beyond selling freshly plucked leaves and explore higher-value products that can be processed at the household level.
Women from Chandrasing Rongpi, Barking Engti, Sem Engti and Hemai Lekthe villages took part in the programme. Many of them are involved in tea cultivation and homestead farming.
The training focused on a simple approach adding value to tea before it reaches the market.
Participants were taught how selecting the right leaves and following proper plucking, processing, rolling and drying techniques can transform freshly harvested leaves into speciality teas with greater market potential.
The programme was designed around small-scale production, requiring relatively limited investment and allowing women to process tea alongside their existing agricultural activities.
Experienced tea maker Manai Terangpi from Chandrasing Rongpi village served as the resource person. The session began in a nearby tea garden, where participants learned to identify and pluck suitable leaves before moving on to the processing stages.
They practised boiling, hand-rolling and sun-drying techniques for Green Tea and were also introduced to the preparation of Orthodox Tea.
For the participants, the training offered a new way of looking at the economic potential of their existing produce.
“I have learned something very interesting in tea processing that will enhance my skill to make better quality green tea and orthodox tea for a better market, rather than simply selling raw tea leaves that have less market value,” said Rebeka Rongpipi of Chandra Sing Rongpi village.
Kusum Teronpi of Sem Engti village said the training showed her how small improvements in processing could influence the quality and market value of the final product.
“I have learnt how small but careful details like proper selection of tea leaves, plucking, rolling, and drying can enhance the quality and look of the tea, giving me hope that it will fetch more in the market,” she said.
Quality control was a key part of the training, particularly because consistency will be important if handmade tea is to become a sustainable source of income.
Aaranyak’s Moromi Nath explained the quality and market requirements for handmade Green Tea and Orthodox Tea and briefed the participants about procurement standards under PIRBI. Tea produced by the women will be assessed and purchased according to quality, with factors including leaf size, rolling, and drying affecting its value.
The participants were encouraged to begin with small quantities, practise the techniques and gradually improve the consistency of their products rather than immediately moving into large-scale production.
Aaranyak’s Larbeen Teronpi also introduced the women to PIRBI, a community-based business and food-processing unit in the village. The session highlighted other possibilities for processing locally available products, including turmeric, ginger powder, tapioca flour and moringa powder.
The initiative also has a broader significance for communities where livelihoods and traditional knowledge remain closely connected to agriculture and natural resources.
As farming practices and livelihood patterns evolve, traditional methods of processing and using local produce can gradually disappear. Helping women develop these skills while connecting them to potential markets could preserve local knowledge while creating new economic opportunities.
For Karbi Anglong, the opportunity may not simply be to increase tea production but to generate greater value from the tea already being cultivated.
With continued training, improved quality and dependable market linkages, village-level handmade tea could develop into a distinctive Karbi Anglong product, combining local agricultural knowledge with women-led enterprise.
The programme was conducted with support from Team Aaranyak and participation from women representing Chandrasing Rongpi, Barking Engti, Sem Engti and Hemai Lekthe villages.
Aaranyak’s Natural Resource Management Programme works with indigenous and local communities to promote alternative and sustainable livelihoods and nature-based solutions. The programme is supported by IUCN-KfW, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Disney Conservation Fund.