Reviving Assam's Tea Industry: A Call for Quality

The Assam Tea Planters' Association emphasizes the need for quality in tea production to overcome market challenges in North India. Flooded with poor-quality teas, the sector is struggling. The association calls for stricter compliance with FSSAI standards, minimum pricing, and incentives to ensure sustainability and competitiveness of Assam's tea industry.

The Assam Tea Planters' Association (ATPA) has emphasized the need for enhancing tea quality to regain buyer confidence and stabilize production volumes in North India. According to ATPA chairman Samudra P Baruva, quality isn't just about taste but adherence to FSSAI standards, which is crucial for market credibility.

The ATPA highlights a market oversupply filled with substandard teas due to excessive cropping, leading to significant price pressure on the plantation sector. The association urges a minimum price of Rs 25 per kilogram for green leaf with a fine count to drive quality improvements.

Baruva also points out that non-compliance with FSSAI standards has resulted in a shift towards South Indian and African teas. The ATPA advocates for government incentives, stricter import controls, and a united effort to better promote Indian teas for long-term industry health.

(With inputs from agencies.)