Tea producers, growers strike benchmark price deal Siliguri, 10 September: Tea producers and small green tea leaf growers today agreed that the former would pay the benchmark price of green tea leaf prescribed by the Tea Board (TB) if the latter can supply at least 25 per cent fine leaf. It may be noted that TB officials in Siliguri, following instructions from the TB chairman, had issued a circular and asked tea producers to pay minimum support price to small tea growers. It was also pointed out that small growers will have to supply at least 65 percent fine leaf. The resolution was adopted in a tripartite meeting convened by the deputy director of the TB, CS Mitra, here today with the North Bengal Tea Producers’ Welfare Association and leaders of Small Tea Planters’ Associations. The meeting was called to resolve the crisis over the benchmark price of green tea leaf for bought-leaf factories. “Both growers and producers amicably reached a conclusion in the greater interest of the tea industry. But both the producers and small growers will have to abide by the Tea Board’s directives in the future,” Mr Mitra said. TB officials today decided to start dialogue with tea producers and green leaf growers as the NBTPWA refused to accept the recent circular of the board and stopped buying poor quality of green tea leaf from growers. The NBTPWA took the decision when the market price of CTC tea started falling at the auction centre in Siliguri over the past few weeks, at a time when the TB issued the circular to buy tea leaf at its prescribed rate if the growers supply at least 65 percent fine leaf. NBTPWA officials informed the tea board of the problem of poor quality of green tea leaf when growers failed to supply less than 20 per cent fine tea leaf and requested authorities concerned to revise the rate of green tea leaf. Under such circumstances, tea producers and small tea leaf growers landed into trouble and the fate of the tea industry in the small sector was hanging in the balance. According to a small grower cum bought-leaf factory owner, tea producers failed to make up for the production cost after tea prices started falling. However, if tea producers do not buy green tea leaf at the TB’s prescribed rate (for 65 percent fine leaf) small growers will suffer huge losses. “We have agreed to pay the benchmark price for green tea leaf in the greater interest of the tea factories if growers can supply more than 25 percent fine tea leaf. “ NBTPWA president Prabir Seal said. Secretary, North Bengal Small Tea Planters’ Association, Nitai Majumdar, said: “Small tea growers will have to supply at least 25 percent fine tea leaf to demand Tea Board’s benchmark price. If a grower fails to supply quality tea leaf, he will talk to the tea producer to negotiate the rates.” “The climate in this region is not favorable for a small grower to supply 65 per cent fine tea leaf. The Tea Board will organize workshops for small growers to produce quality tea leaf for bought-leaf factories in this region,” he added. sns
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 07:50:46 +0000
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