By Aravinda Anantharaman | Editor

India Tea News for the week ending September 6, 2024

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Kangra’s factories may open again

Following a tea board meeting this week, plans are underway to revive the regional cooperative tea factories in Kangra. Four cooperative factories were established in Kangra between 1964 and 1981, but three of them shut down, and only the one in Palampur remains open. With the growing small tea grower segment, reopening and upgrading the factories could benefit farmers. The Hindustan Times quoted Kangra Valley Small Tea Planters Association president Suksham Butail as saying it could benefit 250 small tea growers and support the livelihood of 6,000 individuals.

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Tata and HUL may increase tea prices

Supply of tea has been hit this year, with climatic conditions being a significant reason. The surge in tea prices stems from a sharp decline in production. Tea production dropped by about 13% from January to July, impacting prices. July auction prices in North India increased by 21% from last year. August saw a further rise in auction prices in Kolkata and Siliguri. Coonoor and Cochin also saw a price rise of 37% and 21% respectively. The impact of price rise was seen in CTC more than orthodox. This is expected to impact retail prices from the top two packeteers in India, Hindustan Unilever (Lipton, Taj Mahal, Brooke Bond) and Tata Consumer Products (Tata Tea, Tetley, Kanan Devan, Agni, etc.). Incidentally, share prices of several listed tea companies, including Jayshree Tea and United Nilgiri Tea Estates, surged on Wednesday thanks to increased procurement costs. Business Today

CAG report highlights the inadequate implementation of labor laws

A recent Comptroller and Auditor General report highlighted inadequacies in implementing labor laws in Assam. The audit on Implementation of Schemes for the Welfare of Tea Tribe, for 2015-16 to 2020-21, assessed the implementation of welfare schemes for the tea tribes across Cachar, Dibrugarh, Nagaon, and Sonitpur. There are 390 tea estates in these zones, of which 40 were selected for the audit based on plantation size and worker count. The audit included records and interviews with 590 workers. Some of the areas highlighted are insufficient intervention by the state in aligning wages with the Minimum Wage Act (MW Act), inadequate efforts to improve workers’ conditions, wage disparities between Barak Valley and the Brahmaputra Valley, poor implementation of welfare schemes, and lack of reports and data as mandated.
Pratidin Time

Episode 184

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By Aravinda Anantharaman | Editor

India Tea News for the week ending August 30, 2024

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Wayanad Landslide Aftermath

It has been nearly a month since the devastating landslide in Wayanad. Over 100 people are still missing. DNA testing has been the only way to identify family members. Media reports carry stories of families desperately trying to understand whether a missing family member is alive or among the unidentified dead. There have been mass burials, and among those dead are several people who came from states such as West Bengal and Assam to work on tea, coffee, and rubber estates here. Harrisons Malayalam Ltd. is one of the largest tea companies in the state, with tea estates in the affected area and about 600 workers. The company has committed to supporting relief measures for its employees.

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Andrew Yule & Company Reports Losses

The Deccan Herald has reported news of Andrew Yule & Company, a public sector undertaking under the heavy industries ministry, declaring nearly Rs 1000 crore or USD 100 mn in losses for 2023-24. This has put the future of 8,000 workers in Assam at risk. The company owns 15 estates, of which 10 are in Assam. There are concerns about how this would impact the running of the estates, with labor unrest being a top concern. The chief secretary has sought interventions from the union government to help the company address its current situation.

Episode 183

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Latest India Tea News

• The History of Tea at ChristmasDecember 13, 2024
• Tea Exports on a High | The First Assam Type Indian Genome Decoded |December 13, 2024
• Top Buyer Cargill Exits the Mombasa Tea Auction after 40 Years | Tea Importers Oppose Pakistan’s Minimum Retail Price | Nonprofit True Pricing Releases Food and Beverage ReportDecember 13, 2024
• Argentina’s Tea Harvest is Off to a Good Start but Overall Demand is FallingNovember 16, 2024
• US Climate Commitment Questioned at COP29 | Argentina’s Tea Harvest is Off to a Good Start | FAO Food Outlook Reveals Rising Coffee and Tea PricesNovember 16, 2024