The Tea Board of India is likely to fix a minimum price for green tea leaves in Assam soon.
Assam industry and commerce minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said this here on Friday.
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He said that to avail the minimum price the growers, however, also have to ensure the good quality of the tea leaves.
Patowary said that all the stakeholders of the tea industry met during a meeting in Guwahati on Friday to discuss ways and means to improve the quality of the Assam tea and increase the export of tea.
“While we have requested the Tea Board of India to fix a minimum support price for green tea leaves, the growers have also agreed to resort to good plucking involving the traditional two leafs and a bud to ensure quality of the Assam tea,” the minister said.
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The Tea Board of India is likely to discuss the matter in its next board meeting scheduled for September 24.
The board is also asked to give direction to the growers to improve the quality of the tea.
Assam was a global leader in tea production in 1961 when the export was 37percent.
However, the export came down to only 12 percent in recent years, affecting the industry as a whole.
The domestic consumption of the tea has also gone down in recent years worrying the planters and experts of the industry.
The minister further said that the government is also considering serious steps for branding the Assam tea.
While a delegation will soon be sent to Dubai Tea park to study the model, the government has also decided to open lounges of Assam tea in different cities of the country to brand the Assam tea.