By Aravinda Anantharaman | Managing Editor
India Tea News for the week ending 9 Feb 2024
Small Tea Growers Confederation HQ to Shift to India
At the 25th session of the FAO Intergovernmental Group on Tea at Guwahati earlier this month, it was decided that the headquarters of the Confederation of International Small Tea Holders will shift from China to India for the next four years. CITS was formed at the 22nd session of the FAO IGG (at Nairobi) to support the small grower segment globally, especially in policies and solutions. Globally, small growers account for 70% of the area under tea cultivation and 60% of production. The working group on smallholders includes members from Indonesia, China, India, Sri Lanka, Kenya, and Malawi. Bringing CITS to India is expected to help mobilize global best practices for small tea growers in India.
Barak Valley Posts 2023 Production Decline
The Surma Valley Branch of the Indian Tea Association has posted 2023 data. Accordingly, Barak Valley saw a decline of 1.3mn kilos in 2023 compared to the previous year. Unfavorable weather was cited as the main reason. Auction prices, too, saw a drop of about 5% from the previous year. The Association also stated that despite a wage increase of 204% in the last decade, expectations were not met with production due to two reasons – migration of people who used to work in tea and the adoption of small-scale agriculture by tea pluckers. Neighboring Tripura state was also said to be facing a similar problem.
Powered by RedCircle
