Minister Patowary to initiate a campaign to popularize "Assam Tea"

Assam Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary today said a campaign will be launched to popularize tea from the state by creating brand 'Assam Tea' in the international market and improve its quality.

Assam Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary today said a campaign will be launched to popularize tea from the state by creating brand 'Assam Tea' in the international market and improve its quality.

Briefing reporters after his meeting with the tea industry stakeholders here, Patowary said tea industry giants, various tea associations, and workers unions apprised him about the issues nagging the ailing Assam Tea industry.

The issues pointed out were the high cost of production against low price of realization, excess production of Assam tea at 80 million kg, need for fixing supply-demand price, surplus production due to increased supply of green leaves by small tea growers, he said.

Noting the problems, the state government formed a committee today headed by Additional Chief Secretary Industry and Commerce Ravi Kapoor with Tea Board of India Director and others as it's members to address the industry's issues, the minister said.

The committee will work on how to create brand 'Assam Tea' and a logo for it, increase its acceptability in the international market through campaigns, besides getting Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Assam tea like that for Orthodox tea, Patowary said.

With 80 percent of Assam tea sold within the country, the committee will take forward the tea sector's suggestion for popularising Assam tea among the large population of the country.

Reforms would also be brought about in the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre for improving the sale of Assam tea, he added. North Eastern Tea Association Advisor Bidyananda Borkakoty after the meeting told PTI that like Assam Tourism Department has engaged actress Priyanka Chopra as Assam's brand ambassador, a similar celebrity should be engaged to promote Assam Tea globally.

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