Tapping into the immense popularity of Tripura Tea in Northeast India,
the State Government has decided to brand it on a national level. The Tripura
tea is ranked 5th in the national tea market.
On the line of the State Government’s goal, Tripura Tea Development
Corporation is also hammering out multiple plans to promote this brand nationally.
Regarding this, TTDC chairman Samir Ranjan Ghosh said, “We have more than
54 tea gardens”, however nowadays, “we don’t get much second-generation labour”,
who are basically highly educated. “So, we have planned to start a certificate
course in tea plantation.”
“Here, young people take this course and learn about tea management. Six
months of theory and six months of practical on-the-job training in tea estate
will be imparted in the course. This course will be available at MBB
University. In this way, the government plans to employ more skilled
white-collar job people in tea estates,” added Ghosh.
Besides these plans, the Tripura Tea Development Authority has made provisions
to provide tea in ration to expand its reach to consumers, who, on the other
hand, benefit from the low cost.
Usually, tea is sold in the market through auction. With tea in the
ration, prices have gone down and it has reached more people, claimed
authorities.
Apart from this, Tripura Tea Board authorities are working on a project
involving barter of tea to Bangladesh in exchange for the Bangladeshi Hilda
fish.
The board is mulling to host an international seminar to show the quality
of their tea. Bangladesh purchases 65 lakh kg of tea from Sri Lanka. Producing above
90 lakh metric tons in a year, Tripura also wants to provide tea to Bangladesh.
Tripura Government is also exploring possibilities of Tea Tourism as the
State has 54 big tea gardens and 2,800 tea growers. One of the closest tea
estates to Agartala, Durga Tea Estate already has bungalows where tourists can
go and stay.
Insiders said the Tripura Government will also encourage homestays in tea
estates.
Assam tea and Darjeeling tea are already branded from the British era but
Tripura tea has developed indigenously. It has a different heritage and now the
Tripura Government is all set to market them nationally.
Once Russia used to buy tea from Tripura, and now the government plans to
re-establish that branding itself.
NE Watch Desk
