10-day Workshop held in Tripura for Skill development of small tea growers

Brahmakunda, Jan 3 (KNN) A ten-day workshop on development of skill of small tea growers was organized in Brahmakunda of West Tripura.

The workshop was organized with an objective to provide employment to youth and improving the ailing tea industry through better management and increased production.

The Tripura Tea Development Corporation Ltd (TTDCL) organized the workshop with financial support of the Directorate of Skill Development Tripura.

Bijit Basumatary, General Secretary, Organic Small Tea Growers Association of North East (OSTGANE) told KNN that the stakeholders are happy with the developments which are taking place for the small sector.

“Such ideas are appreciable as by such moves the MSME sectors will get boost. We are ready to learn from such programmes for the betterment of the sector,” said Bijit Basumatary.

The program was organized in Tripura with a vision to provide maximum benefit to the small growers who are new in the field, by acquiring hands-on scientific knowledge. Tripura is amongst the few tea producing states in India.

The training programme is expected to encourage the tea growers to acquire skills so that they right from preparation of nurseries, choosing the best saplings, grow the best trees with high yield and thus increase their production and income.

At present 14,092 square hectares are earmarked for tea cultivation in 58 estates and out of which 52 are operational. But the average tea yield of Tripura is just 1,043 kg per square hectare compared to the national average of 1658 kg, which is a matter of concern for the tea producers who have to face tough competition in the global auction market.

Some 12,000 families are directly employed in the tea estates and since 1994 around 4,346 small tea growers including 2,483 tribal are cultivating tea in 3,406 square hectare area.

Tripura is the fifth largest among 14 tea-producing states after Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala but the state suffers from shortage of skill labour in the sector and which also hampers the production.

Tea plantation started in Tripura a century back from the year 1916 under the Royal Administration at Hiracherra Tea Estate in Kailasahar by hiring workers from East Bengal. (KNN/RAS)