Guwahati: The North East Confederation Small Tea Growers’ Association (NECSTGA) has urged the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to urgently review its 2024 directive on mandatory pesticide testing in tea, warning that the current compliance requirements could threaten the livelihoods of nearly 1.5 lakh small tea growers across Assam.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Executive Officer of FSSAI at FDA Bhawan, Kotla Road, New Delhi, NECSTGA president Diganta Phukan and secretary general Binod Buragohain said the issue had “created serious concern among tea growers across the state” and sought the regulator’s “urgent intervention.”
The association said its members produce green tea leaves that are sold primarily to Bought Leaf Factories (BLFs), and the livelihood of small and marginal tea growers depends on uninterrupted procurement by these factories.
According to NECSTGA, the immediate concern arose after Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) and Tata Consumer Products Limited (TCPL) issued communications to tea traders on July 23, 2026, stating that they would procure only tea that complies with FSSAI requirements.
Since BLFs supply a substantial portion of their manufactured tea to the two companies, the association said the factories would be compelled to procure only FSSAI-compliant green leaves. It warned that this could result in rejection of green leaves, lower prices or restrictions on procurement, directly affecting the livelihoods of small tea growers and their families.
The association traced the issue to an FSSAI directive dated March 4, 2024, which instructed food testing laboratories to test tea for six pesticides — Cypermethrin, Acephate, Imidacloprid, Acetamiprid, Dinotefuran and Fipronil. Following implementation of the directive, NECSTGA said a large proportion of tea produced in Assam was reportedly being declared non-compliant.
The association argued that the six pesticides are not prohibited for use in tea. It said Acetamiprid and Imidacloprid have received label claim expansion for use in tea from the Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee (CIB&RC), while Cypermethrin has an established Codex Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) for tea.
NECSTGA said these factors warranted a review of the compliance requirements relating to the six pesticides.
The association noted that concerns over pesticide testing and compliance are not new. It said NECSTGA was formed in Golaghat in June 2024 as an umbrella body representing small tea growers across the Northeast to collectively address such regulatory issues.
It also referred to the Assam Bought Leaf Tea Manufacturers Association’s (ABLTMA) announcement that it would shut its factories from June 1, 2024, citing the difficulty of producing FSSAI-compliant tea from green leaves received from growers without pesticide residue testing.
The association further pointed out that small tea growers had separately petitioned the Union Health Ministry, urging Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda to expedite notification of maximum residue limits for Acetamiprid and Imidacloprid. It said growers had argued that delays in the notification were causing crop losses and uncertainty in pest management.
According to NECSTGA, tea industry bodies in Assam have also approached the Tea Board of India, seeking label claim extensions for the two pesticides to manage green fly infestations. They have also described the mandatory testing requirement for the six pesticides as “over-regulation” and sought its withdrawal.
The association noted that FSSAI has previously engaged with tea growers and planters in Assam on the issue. It said the regulator’s Chief Executive Officer had stressed the use of bio-pesticides to ensure safe and quality tea production, while FSSAI officials had conducted awareness programmes for small tea growers on maintaining pesticide use within prescribed MRL limits.
NECSTGA said the latest representations assume greater significance as two of the country’s largest tea buyers have formally linked procurement to FSSAI compliance. The association warned that the move could have a “severe impact” on the livelihoods of Assam’s small tea growers during the current plucking season.