Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: For various reasons, the tea gardens in the state have not been able to take the benefits of the opportunity given to them by the state government to use five per cent of lands under them for various other purposes, including ecotourism.
For the past few years, the tea planters in the state have been facing many challenges, including climate change, that have led to fluctuation in the production of tea. They have been seeking additional sources of income to remain afloat. Taking into account the data of the past years, weather conditions and the crop patterns, it is anticipated that Assam tea production this year (January to December) will be around 670 million kg, marginally more than 2024 but less than 2023.
According to sources, a few gardens came forward and reached some sort of understanding with the government to avail of the benefits of agro-forestry schemes. Most of the gardens have now come forward for commercial agro-forest plantations like agar, kadam, moringa, bamboo, mahogany, etc.
Sources associated with the tea industry said that they are looking for alternative crops that can generate additional income for tea gardens, and at the same time, they should not have a negative impact on employment and the environment in gardens. “After several rounds of brainstorming with experts in this field as well as with the Assam Agro-Forestry Development Board, we’ve identified certain crops that have the potential to generate additional revenue for the ailing tea industry,” one of the sources said.
According to sources, the crops could differ from district to district. Agar is suitable for the Golaghat, Jorhat and Sivasagar districts. Bamboo can give profitable returns because of the bio-ethanol refinery of NRL. Kadam is identified to give returns after seven years. Mahogany tree farming is gaining significant popularity in India as a profitable and low-maintenance alternative to traditional crops. Gardens have also identified moringa medicinal plant, that can give profits in the future.
Already agar planting samples have been given to many tea growers. This initiative with the tea growers of Assam will cover other districts in the near future. It would help generate additional revenue for the tea industry, which is currently passing through turbulent times.
Climate change and other factors have been pushing the tea industry towards a crisis. Several gardens in the state have already been closed or locked out. It has led the gardens to shift to profitable agroforestry that was not possible earlier in the absence of such an offer, i.e., allowing the use of five per cent of tea garden land for other purposes.
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