THE TEA INDUSTRY OF ASSAM ----- PART---3. When the cultivation of tea was first commenced in ASSAM, nothing was known of the habits of the tea bush, and it was only after many years of study and experimenting that the planters learnt what was the most suitable soil and climate, and what was the best way of planting out and spacing the bushes, of cultivating, pruning and plucking them and of withering, rolling and firing the leaf. There are two main varities of tea, BLACK TEA and GREEN TEA, the latter being produced in comparatively small quantities, chiefly for the AMERICAN market. In 1869, it was found that well-managed gardens were yielding a good profit and that even those which had belonged to the defunct companies were, in many cases, turning out well under careful management. This gave a fresh impetus to the industry and during the next 30 years there was steady increase in the number of tea gardens, the area under cultivation and the output of tea. In 1872 about 27000 acres were actually planted with tea in the BRAHMAPUTRA VALLEY, 23000 in CACHER and 1000 in SYLHET. The area under tea in the year 1922 was 412,200 acres. The capital invested in ASSAM tea gardens in 1903 was estimated roughly at about fourteen million pounds sterling. In 1866 no less than 96% of the tea imported into the UNITED KINGDOM came from CHINA and only 4% from INDIA.. But in 1886, only 59 % came from CHINA while INDIA supplied 38 %. In 1903, the imports of CHINA had fallen to 10 % compared with 59 % of INDIAN and 31 % of CEYLON TEA. In the early days of the industry the prices obtained for ASSAM teas were extraordinarily high The crop of 1839 yielded 8 shillings a pound; and when the price fell below 2 shillings a pound, it was said that tea could no longer pay.. But the price has continued to fall steadily. Between 1893 and 1898, however the extension of cultivation was so rapid that the supply of tea quite outstriped the demand, while the cost of placing it on the market was enhanced. These adverse conditions caused the prices obtained for the tea to fall below the cost of production, and for a time the industry entered once more on a period of depression. Every effort was made to reduce the expenditure and to open new markets; and this, coupled with the practical stoppage of new extensions, placed the industry once more on a sound footing.There was a frsh set-back after the war, but this has been followed by a period of remarkable prosperity. For almost the first time in the histoey of the industry, prices have shown a marked upward tendency. A variety of causes contributed to the reduction in the cost of placing tea upon the market. By improved cultivation the average yield per acre was increased from 2 to four hundred weights, the introduction of machinery cheapened the process of mnufacture; the amalgation of small gardens and the reduction of the EUROPEAN staff brought down the charges for supervision, both locally and in the offices of the CALCUTTA agents andthere was a great diminution in the outlay on machinery, stores, tea boxes and freight, both local and ocean, all of which cost far less in 1914 than they did formerlySince the war, the cost of, however, the cost of all these items and also of labour has risen very considerably. In order to encourage the taking up of land for tea cultivation, very favourable terms have been at different times been sanctioned by GOVERNMENT. There were very few landless labourers in ASSAM, and people who had land naturally prefered the independence nd ease of their position as cultivators to yhe discipline and regular labour of the teagardens. It was found necessary, at a very early stage, to seek for tea garden coolies elsewhere and in 1853, the ASSAM COMPANY had already begun to import labourers from BENGAL.tHE MOST SUITABLE COOLIES ARE ABORIGINAL TRIBES of CHOTANAGPUR and the neighbourhood; but the supply of these is insufficient and is eked out by plains people of U.P. and elsewhere, who require a long period of acclimatization and, even then , are seldom satisfactory. The benefits which the tea industry has conferred on the PROVINCE have been many and great-which will be discussed later separately. ( collected from A HISTORY OF ASSAM by SIR E. GAIT )
Posted on: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 06:07:42 +0000
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