Tea news from Darjeeling Area

Darjeeling Tea Laborers' union threatens stir or Panighatta Tea Estate

2016-05-09T10:46:00.000+05:30

Darjeeling, May 8: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha-affiliated Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union (DTDPLU) has threatened to launch an aggressive movement if there was no headway by the last week of this month regarding the Panighata tea estate.

Joint Labour Commissioner Sunil Kumar said the tripartite meet, which was scheduled for Sunday to decide fate of the closed plantation, could not take place as the owner Shankar Sharaf sent a letter requesting for more time and the said letter was later sent to the Darjeeling district magistrate.

Next meeting

With the next meeting’s date decided on May 25, the participating unions and the government decided to give the owner time till May 20, Kumar said.

Harihar Acharya, the Terai chief of the DTDPLU, said if the owner failed to attend that meeting too and the tea estate did not re-open by May 25-26, they will start a massive agitation in support of the hapless workers of Panighata, which is in its seventh month of closure now.

Other unions

Besides DTDPLU, the Himalayan Plantation Workers’ Union (HPWU) of the Gorkha National Liberation Front was also present during the deliberations.

“Despite several rounds of meetings for reopening the tea estate, the owner has not shown any interest to that effect. Now that we have given the May 25 deadline, he will stand responsible for the outcome of the agitation we have threatened to launch,” warned Acharya.

Panighata Tea Estate is spread across an area of about 1,200 acres and lies adjacent to forest area.

Since October 10 last year, when the garden was shut down indefinitely, 13 labourer deaths had been reported till date by the unions.

PTI

Not just Tea, Darjeeling is more in flavor

2014-12-17T15:03:00.000+05:30

The Indian hillside resort is known worldwide for its exported beverage, but the surrounding region offers a taste of neighbouring Tibet, Tony Tharakan finds.

Darjeeling, for many people, means tea, but the eponymous hill resort nestled in the Himalayas in India's northeast is also a gateway to spectacular views of the world's third highest peak as well as a rare glimpse of snow leopards and red pandas.

There also are reminders of India's colonial past, including a narrow-gauge railway known as the “Toy Train”, which makes a tourist run into the hills under power of a steam locomotive.

Visitors willing to make the extra pilgrimage to Sikkim, the Indian state to the north of West Bengal, where Darjeeling is located, can get a taste of Tibetan culture without visiting the Chinese-ruled region.

The closest airport, Bagdogra, is 90km from Darjeeling.

Perched at an altitude of 2,134 metres, Darjeeling is said to have derived its name from Dorje-ling, which means “land of the mystic thunderbolt”.

The best time to visit is October to November or February to April. It's never too warm in Darjeeling and there is often a drizzle. Taxis ferrying tourists often jam the narrow lanes, and cabs sometimes dash across the rail tracks that run alongside, causing drivers of the slow-moving “Toy Train” to sound a warning hoot.

The World Heritage railway, opened in 1881, is a tourist magnet for a leisurely ride on narrow gauge tracks, offering splendid views of cloud-capped hillsides and people going about their daily routines.

Take the 8am joy ride from Darjeeling to Ghum, India's highest railway station at an elevation of 2,258m.

The two-hour return journey (for 400 rupees or €5.20) includes stopovers at a rail museum and a spiral rail loop with panoramic vistas.

It's advisable to book tickets online before you visit.

Backpackers and budget travellers can take a room at the government tourist lodge, next door to St Andrews, an Anglican church built in 1843. The well-heeled can spend their days at the Windamere, a heritage hotel that started as a boarding house for British tea planters in the 19th century. Room tariffs start at 9,500 rupees (€123) per night, with meals.

It also is possible to stay a night at some of the tea plantations.

One of the estates advertising rooms is the Glenburn Tea Estate & Boutique Hotel

From there you can catch a glimpse of snow-capped Mount Kanchenjunga, the world's third-highest mountain with an elevation of 8,586m.

Hundreds of tourists visit Tiger Hill, 13km from Darjeeling, for a magnificent view of the sunrise; some arriving as early as 4am to beat the rush.

Beware, though; the fickle weather often shrouds the mountain in a veil of fog.

For something more dependable, drop in at Glenary's bakery for their signature cakes and chocolates.

Enjoy non-spicy continental and Chinese fare in the restaurant on the first floor where an average meal for two would cost about 500 rupees (€6.50).

Try and get there early for dinner as service starts winding down at 9pm in this early-to-bed town.

On the pedestrian Mall road, try on hand-knitted sweaters, browse the myriad souvenir shops and buy some of Darjeeling's famous tea, plucked from the verdant estates that dot the hillsides.

Head to the Darjeeling zoo – tickets start at 40 Indian rupees (50 cents) – where the snow leopard and red panda are the pick of the lot.

Outside the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and museum, next door to the zoo, stands a memorial to Tenzing Norgay, the first man to scale Mount Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953.

And for a spectacular view of the tea plantations, take a ride on the Darjeeling cable car ride (tickets start at 150 rupees or €2).

Kalimpong is a three-hour drive away, but on the way stop at Lovers' Meet for a breathtaking view of the confluence of the Teesta and Rangeet rivers.

Also take a break at Lamahatta and laze in a landscaped garden surrounded by fluttering Buddhist prayer flags.

Try chicken momos, or steamed dump-lings, served with pepper-hot sauce at the roadside stalls.
Perched at an altitude of 2,134 metres, Darjeeling is said to have derived its name from Dorje-ling, which means ‘land of the mystic thunderbolt’

In Kalimpong, don't miss Deolo Point for a panoramic view of the Himalayas.

If you are in the mood for adventure, the town is situated at an altitude of 1,200m and is a popular paragliding and river-rafting destination.

You also can see the imposing Mangal Dham temple or mingle with novice monks playing football at Buddhist monasteries.

The Lonely Planet tourist guides listed Sikkim as the best region to travel to in 2014 but foreign nationals need restricted-area permits to visit this northeastern Himalayan state bordering Tibet.

Gangtok, the hilltop capital at an altitude of 1,676m, is a four-hour drive away from Darjeeling. However, MG Marg, Gangtok's pedestrian-only main street and shopping district, is a tourist's delight, featuring a range of restaurants and a plaza that is its cultural hub.

Try the pastries at the Baker's Cafe; the view is a definite plus.

Dozens of budget and luxury hotels line the streets next to MG Marg.

City tours in ubiquitous taxis usually begin with the Ban Jhakri waterfall and picnic spot before moving on to the various monasteries that dot the hillsides.

The Enchey monastery, founded in 1840, is perhaps the most famous, with the entrance flanked by hundreds of Buddhist prayer wheels and flags printed with lines from scripture.

At the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, visitors can pore over one of the largest collections of Buddhist literature and artefacts.

Monks light butter lamps and meditate at the Do-Drul Chorten pagoda complex next door. Ganesh Tok is a temple-cum-viewpoint, and in case you missed the sight in Darjeeling, it offers tourists another glimpse of Kanchenjunga.

Gangtok also has its own cable car, a 10-minute ride that offers a panoramic view of the town below.

Tourists to Sikkim will benefit from a new airport near Gangtok that is set to begin operations before 2016.

Times of Malta, Tony Tharakan

The Perfect cup of Tea: Cheers!

2014-12-17T14:45:00.000+05:30

Drinking the pathetic, really morbid tea bag tea (I had run out of my regular Darjeeling tea) I got thinking about the character of a cup of good tea. It’s almost like wine. Sommeliers might go ga ga over their wine, the connoisseur of tea goes equally ecstatic over the perfect full bodied cup of tea.

Tea that has character, has taste, has the quite so perfect colour and aroma. It is not dense and thick but has that exact proportion of water and milk, giving it a texture that is so eminently “sippable” savouring it ever so slowly. You don’t ever gulp down a good cup of tea and so that brings me to the next point. Its best served in a china or ceramic cup, thats the ultimate in luxury.

The golden reddish brown colour of the tea liquor enhanced with a few drops at the most, of milk, (the purist would frown on that I know) makes for a great cup of tea.

A great cup of tea can lift your mood, herald a good start to your day and not for nothing is there a special period of the day “Teatime” – a time that is devoted to savouring the queen of beverages.

While I might drool over the light flavor of the Darjeeling tea, I am not so fond of either green , jasmine , or other flavored varieties.

Tea as a former colleague used to say, has to be infused; so the principle of the tea bag ( plunge it into hot water) according to him is “very, very wrong” . Water needs to be infused through tea leaves to lend to it that delicate colour and flavor and that heavenly texture.

And therefore it is pure blasphemy to eat anything heavy, like samosas and pakodas etc. with this cup of tea. Yes, lightly flavoured biscuits maybe Cream crackers go with it, but cream biscuits destroy the tea experience.

One might be so presumptuous as to say that the British, Chinese and Japanese were ‘superior intellects’, developing their unique tea ceremonies to honour and cherish a beverage that deserves every bit of the grandeur associated with these customs. But I guess it’s out of sync in this day and age. The closest we can get to it, is pouring our tea from ceramic teapots enveloped in warm tea cosies.

My tea fetish is reflected in the mementoes that I pick up on my occasional travels. While others hunt for artifacts, I’ve picked up anything associated with tea – like the China clay figurine used to test the temperature of the water for that perfect cup of tea. The Chinese as you know are very particular about their tea. Immerse it in a glass of boiling water and should it “pee” ie bubbles surface then its perfect for the tea. The oolong tea was another expensive prized souvenir from that China trip. Teapots, for me are another much sought after item - the more quaint, the better.

But away from the luxury that one associates with ‘Tea’, there is the grassroot connect of the humble “chai.” This ‘chai’ of late has acquired a political character and avatar of its own. “Chai pe charcha” “chaiwala” are concepts that have helped a political party and its leader establish a direct connect with the masses and catapulted him into office. That I guess should serve as an adequate lesson for those “Tea- totalers” who snigger at the power and daresay for me the “aroma” of Tea.

Business Standard

15% rise in Darjeeling Tea prices in Europe

2012-11-29T12:20:00.004+05:30

Darjeeling Tea has commanded 15% higher rates in Europe this year despite the financial downturn in Europe as quality up-gradation and marketing have boosted margins of the beverage that is widely regarded as the champagne of teas.

The industry now hopes to take another leap with plans to join hands with European Trade Commission (ETC) to launch a marketing and generic promotion campaign in EU next year for making a further penetration in the region. Nearly 60%-70 % of Darjeeling's total production of 9 million kg is exported, mainly to Germany, the UK and Japan.

"This year, the EU buyers have offered us 15% to 18% higher prices over 2011 because they are satisfied with the quality of our premium first and second flush teas. Demand has also gone up because of less adulteration," said Sanjay Bansal, chairman of Ambootia Group, a leading Darjeeling tea producer.

Though 9 million kg was produced in Darjeeling, nearly 40 million kg was available in the global market with Darjeeling branding. The tea industry, along with Tea Board, fought over the years to have a GI (geographical indication) mark for Darjeeling tea to protect its identity in the world market. Teas that were sold at around 12.75 euros per kg last year have been able to command 15 euros this year.

Some better qualities have garnered 30 euros per kg, said SS Bagaria, chairman of Darjeeling Tea Association . Even medium quality teas have been sold at 7-8 euros per kg compared to 5 euros previous year. Incidentally, the second flush teas have a unique muscatel flavor that lures the EU buyers. Moreover, this year's recession has seen big EU tea importers buy out small family-run companies who were into tea imports.

"This restructuring of business in their homeland has helped us push more teas because it is easier to make business with big buyers," said Bansal.

Even Harrods , the upmarket store in London , has picked up 10% more teas from Ambootia Group this year. "We are expecting that the price of Darjeeling teas will go up further in 2013. It's a boutique product and should not be treated as a commodity.

The producers should sit together to work out a strategy to make further penetration in world markets. Interestingly , even the US has now started importing Darjeeling tea," said Ashok Lohia, chairman of Chamong Tee Ltd, the largest Darjeeling tea producer in the country.

MGVK Bhanu, chairman of Tea Board of India, said: "We are working on a plan for generic promotion of Darjeeling tea with ETC. This will also involve marketing because we will try to create consumer awareness about Darjeeling tea. However, nothing has been finalized yet."

The local prices of Darjeeling tea have gone up substantially.

Source: Economic Times

The ETC and the GTA have agreed to confer the protected geographical indication (PGI) status on Darjeeling Tea

2012-09-27T09:20:00.000+05:30

KOLKATA: There's good news for the producers of Darjeeling tea, the champagne among tea varieties. The European Trade Council and the German Tea Association have agreed to confer the protected geographical indication (PGI) status on Darjeeling tea, the first commodity from India to get such a tag. This implies that the brew produced only in Darjeeling can be sold as Darjeeling tea in the European Union.

"As of now, blenders in EU countries generally mix 49% of any tea with 51% of Darjeeling tea and still sell it as Darjeeling tea. But it has now been decided that only those packets that contain 100% Darjeeling tea can be sold as Darjeeling tea," Tea Board chairman MGVK Bhanu told ET from Germany. The packets will also have the Darjeeling logo and PGI logo labelled on them.

Darjeeling was granted the geographical indication status by the European Union in October last year, authenticating its origin. However, the implementation of this status involves a phasing-out period within which products which do not conform to the law and are not authentic from the hill district of Bengal will be driven out of the market.

It has also been decided that the European Trade Council and the Darjeeling Tea Association along with the Tea Board will jointly promote Darjeeling tea in the European market.

According to the EU notification, the blenders in Europe have been handed out a caveat in the sense that only those who had products in the market five years before October 14, 2009, can continue selling their blended products as Darjeeling tea for the next five years. "There is hardly any Darjeeling tea left with the European buyers. Henceforth, only Darjeeling tea will be available in Europe," said SS Bagaria, chairman, Darjeeling Tea Association.

Industry officials estimate that around 40 million kg of tea gets sold as Darjeeling tea across the globe every year. In this context, the EU's decision is considered important. The process of granting a geographic indicator, which means that only the produce of a particular area can be sold by its generic name, started with India according the GI status to Darjeeling tea in 2003.

Since, it was mandatory to get home protection, the Indian government passed a Geographic Indicator and Protection Act in 1999 after which Darjeeling tea was given the GI status in 2003. The granting of GI status in the home country - India in the case of Darjeeling tea - is only the first step towards the protection of the commodity's generic brand.

In 2007, the Tea Board of India and the Darjeeling Tea Association invoked a provision in the EU Commission Regulation 5001 to ask Brussels to accord the PGI status to Darjeeling Tea.

"We have also made an application before the Japanese Property Right Organisation for granting of the Production of Regional Origin (PRO) in Japan and also before the Trade Administration Authority (TAA) of USA for granting of Community Collection Mark in the USA," said Sanjay Bansal, chairman of Ambootia Group. He added that PRO and TAA were similar to the PGI tag.

Source: IndiaTimes

Darjeeling tea wins purity test

2012-09-26T15:45:00.000+05:30

KOLKATA: The long struggle for Darjeeling tea growers to protect its 'sanctity' is finally over. Only those that are 100% Darjeeling tea can be mentioned as such all over the world. If there is any blend, it has to be mentioned on the packet.

"The German Tea Association agreed in a recent meeting that any packet labeled as Darjeeling Tea will have 100% Darjeeling tea. If there is any blend, it will be specified on the packet. This will definitely help generate more demand for Darjeeling tea in the European market," S S Bagaria, chairman of Darjeeling Tea Association, told TOI.

Darjeeling Tea received the coveted Geographical Indications (GI) status in May 2011 under the European Commission Regulation. Earlier, in Germany any blended tea with 51% Darjeeling tea was considered Darjeeling tea. The remainder would be made up of any kind of tea, affecting the actual taste and flavour of Darjeeling tea. The niche Darjeeling tea is now among the seven non-EU products receiving the protected status.

Darjeeling tea is the first Indian product to get the GI tag, which allows non-European products to be registered in EU countries. GI is a name or sign used on certain products, which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin. "With this recent decision, we expect Darjeeling tea export to Europe to go up by 25%," Bagaria said.

The total production of Darjeeling tea last year was 8.5 million kg, of which 3.5 million kg was exported, Bagaria said. More than 70% of the export - some 2.5 million kg - went to Europe with the rest going to Japan and the US. The price of premium Darjeeling tea now hovers around Rs 800-Rs 1,000 per kg. The medium grade costs around Rs 500-600 per kg and the lower end around Rs 400-500 per kg.

Bagaria does not expect any rise in production because the weather was not favourable. Tea Board chairman MGVK Bhanu, Ambootia group owner Sanjay Bansal, Chamong Tee chairman Ashok Lohia, and DTA secretary Kaushik Basu were among those that attended the Germany meeting.

Industry stakeholders said they had approached the EU authority in November 12, 2007 to grant this status. It took them four years to get it.

There are around 87 tea gardens in Darjeeling now. Darjeeling is considered to be the best flavoured tea in the world. The first flush Darjeeling tea fetches the maximum price and it is predominantly exported.

Source: Times of India

Promotion of Darjeeling Tea through new tea boutiques

2012-06-03T12:07:00.001+05:30

The term Darjeeling tea floods our mind with images of the extravagantly green stretches of tea gardens and our tongues yearn for an immediate sip into a cup of that aromatic tea. For evokes an elegant thought in the minds of the connoisseurs, the day doesn't feel complete without a cup of Darjeeling tea. To sustain that feeling among the aficionados, the Darjeeling Tea Association (DTA) has planned is planning to set up standalone Darjeeling tea boutiques across the country.

The association has chalked out plans for 20 such exclusive Darjeeling tea boutiques across the country to promote this niche product in the domestic market, DTA chairman SS Bagaria told TOI. The panel To support this effort, it has requested the Tea Board of India to support this effort and include the programme in the 12th Plan that commenced from which started from April 2012.

"Being a niche product, the Darjeeling tea has to be promoted in a unique way. The tea boutiques will help attract more people towards this product," Bagaria said. The concept first struck the surfaced in the minds of stakeholders of the industry. They believe as they feel that a rich cuppa of Darjeeling tea should be sipped in the right ambience to enjoy its taste to the fullest.

These 20 boutiques will come up in both tier I as well as tier II cities. While Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai have been identified among tier I cities, Pune, Indore, Ranchi, Raipur and Gurgaon has been marked as the will be the tier II cities, said Bagaria. to get Darjeeling tea boutiques.

It is not mandatory that a city will house just one tea boutique. Depending on the demand, a city can have multiple boutiques as well.

Along with Darjeeling tea, these boutiques will also serve snacks like cafeterias. Each boutique will entail an investment between Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore depending on the nature of the city, he added. It is envisaged that these boutiques will come up in association with the Union commerce ministry. "We have had meetings with the Tea Board and they have assured us that they will put this proposal in the 12th Plan to the Union commerce ministry," he said.

Confirming this development, Tea Board chairman MGVK Bhanu said: "I have already put this proposal in the 12th Plan. This is a rather unique idea to promote Darjeeling tea in the domestic market.

" The cost of setting up these boutiques being quite high, the association has requested the government to bear about 50% of the investment, from the government while the rest will be borne by the boutique owner.

The total production of Darjeeling tea in 2011 was to the tune of 8.8 million kg, 70% of which was exported.

Source: Times of India

Tea bodies loud CM's budget speech

2012-03-15T09:14:00.003+05:30

The joint forum of Assam Tea Planters Association (ATPA), North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) and Bharatiya Cha Parishad (BCP) welcomes the budget speech of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and appreciated the CM’s resolve during the ongoing budget session where he announced that the central government has been requested to declare 'tea' as the national drink and this would be vigorously followed up. This was stated in a joint statement issued by A.R. Kasera Chairman ATPA, Bidyananda Barkakoty Chairman NETA and Manoj Jalan Chairman BCP. Tea, which has been giving Assam a special identity, will give the state more prestige if it becomes the National Drink of the country and with the National Drink status to the beverage, its domestic consumption will increase and this will in turn give more confidence to the small tea growers, who are first generation entrepreneurs they added. The declaration of tea as the state Drink of Assam by Tarun Gogoi at the World Tea science congress at the Tocklai centenary celebration will remain as a red letter day for the Assam tea industry in particular and for the people of Assam in general and we hope a formal notification to this effect will follow very soon, they further added.

The forum also welcomed CM’s announcement in the budget to decrease the tax from 1% to 0.5% for sale of teas through Guwahati Tea Auction centre (GTAC) which will help in increasing the quantum of sale through GTAC. It is worth mentioning that Assam is the largest tea producing state of the country and it is also the place from where the march of the Indian tea industry started. Assam tea was one of lndia's first offerings to the world. Way back on May 8, 1838, 350 pounds of Assam tea was dispatched to London and sold at India House, London, on January 10, 1839. Since then, over the last 172 years, it is perhaps the only industry where India has retained its leadership. Tea industry is also one of the largest employers in the organized sector in India and significantly 50% of workers are women. India is the largest producer and largest consumer of black tea in the world. Symbolism apart the declaration of tea as the National Drink will be a good idea for bolstering the marketing of Indian tea.

Source: Assam Times

"I don't stop them from drinking coffee; I only encourage tea-drinking", Stephen Twining

2012-03-15T09:13:00.000+05:30

Stephen Twining makes a strong case for tea, though he doesn't brew the idea too aggressively. He tells Bhumika K. why you shouldn't just ask for a cup of tea

It's his ability to talk rather passionately about tea in terms of relationships, about sharing it, personalizing it, and about the sensuality of it all, rather than just talk picked-and-processed cut and dry Oolong, green or Darjeeling that makes a conversation with Stephen Twining interesting.

“You should never just ask for a cup of tea,” warns Twining, the 10 generation of the Twining family that is credited with introducing tea to the British (from China) way back in the 1700s. Since 1837 they have been official tea suppliers to Queen Victoria and since then, every successive British monarch! He explains why you should never simply ask for your cuppa — the current trend of coffee cafes springing up and the varieties of coffee available should open up people's eyes to the fact that tea too doesn't need to be of one kind.

He should know best. He tries local varieties of tea wherever he travels and recalls with great amusement Taiwan's “Bubble tea”. “It has sago in it,” he says, his eyes dancing, and pauses for reaction, before delivering the punch: “You're supposed to sip it with a straw and the sago goes into your mouth ‘Gloop!'”

Settling down for chat on a hot Bangalore afternoon, Stephen, who's now director of corporate relations at Twinings, says the weather's perfect for a light and refreshing green tea, with lemon, maybe. He drinks anywhere between nine and 15 cups of tea a day — a different tea for each time of day, and depending on his mood. He also dispels the myth that Indians are almost the only ones who drink their tea with milk. “The average cup of English tea does have milk. So does it in Australia and New Zealand. But in Europe and America, it would be drunk without milk,” he says. “But that's one of the beauties of tea — it's a very personal drink. We can both share a pot of tea, yet have two very different cups of it!”

Stephen, now 48, who was probably very familiar with his Earl Grey and English Breakfast much earlier than most tea-drinkers would, remembers that one moment he decided he would join the family business — he was all of eight and made his first presentation on tea from India in a geography class. It had quite an impact on him when he realized many of his classmates hadn't even seen green tea!

While we often hear people proclaim that he or she is a “tea person” or a “coffee person”, Stephen says most people are both. “People go through different stages in life — coffee is seen as a sexy and happening drink…it's like the courtship period in a relationship. But when you're looking at a long-term relationship, it would be tea,” he explains his metaphor. “There are more dimensions to the sensuality of tea.” He drinks two or three cups of coffee a week, and visits some great coffee-drinking nations, he says. “I don't stop them from drinking coffee; I only encourage tea-drinking,” reflecting a surprisingly peaceful promotional strategy.

Amazingly, for a company that sells more than 200 kinds of teas in over 100 countries, they don't own any tea gardens! It stems from their philosophy that they want to buy the finest quality of teas, wherever it's available. In India, they source tea from in Assam, Darjeeling Tea gardens and the Nilgiris region. The tea they market in India is packed right here in Kolkata.

While the East India Company first brought tea to Britain from China, and Indian tea first arrived in London in 1838, a big chunk of the world looks upon tea as the drink of the coloniser foisted upon the colonised. “Well, there are many countries that drink tea in the Middle East and have nothing to do with the British,” says Stephen, adding, “I hope to think it's a nice legacy!”

He hadn't yet tasted the Indian “chai” and hoped to get out of the five-star hotel set up for his first tasting. “I have heard how you make it. And it's my theory that since you continue to heat it, the leaves give out a bitterness and therefore you add sugar and spices to it, to counter that taste.” Later, at a tea tasting organized by Twinings in association with The Leela Palace, he says emphatically, wrinkling his nose: “Adding sugar to tea is barbaric!”

Source: The Hindu

Three model farms in India for organic tea cultivation

2012-02-20T14:43:00.000+05:30

India produces about 26 million g of organic tea and 80 per cent of this is exported to Germany, the UK and the US.
NUREMBERG (GERMANY), FEB. 19: The Tea Board has set up three model farms in India on 100 acres each to develop a standard package for cultivation of organic tea, according to Ms Roshni Sen, Deputy Chairperson of the Board.

“The farms are in Munnar (Kerala), Darjeeling (West Bengal) and Assam and they will develop a standard package through research and development,” she told Business Line at the Indian Tea Board pavilion at BioFach 2012.

The package is being developed with financial aid from the Food and Agriculture Organisation's Centre For Commodities Fund.

While the United Planters Association of Southern India-Tea Research Association is involved in the Munnar farm, the Darjeeling Tea Development Research Corporation is doing the spadework at Darjeeling. The Tea Research Association of India, Tocklai, is in charge of research in Assam gardens.

“We are following a two-pronged strategy in encouraging organic production of tea. One is to prepare a standard package for cultivation and the other is to rope in small farmers by imparting regular training,” she said.

This is seen as a significant move by India to strengthen its hold in the organic tea market with a production of 26 million kg. About 80 per cent of this is exported to Germany, the UK and the US.

Currently, organic tea is being cultivated on 22,000 hectares and India is one of the few countries that has a national programme for organic production apart from China.

There are eight certifying agencies in the organic tea sector and 50 producers have been certified by these bodies. “Other producers are in the process of getting certification,” Ms Sen said.

The development of organic tea and a standard package for its cultivation is also seen important in the background of reports of pesticide residues being found in Indian tea consignments.

The Tea Board has appointed an agency to undertake a market study on domestic demand in organic products.

“We have already done a study on demand for such products in the US,” she said.

On setting up an export inspection council in view of increasing complaints on quality grounds against Indian tea, Ms Sen said a monitoring system will be set up during the 12th Plan period.

To a question on a directorate for small tea growers, she said it will begin functioning from this year. “We have already started the recruitment process for the directorate,” she said.

(The trip for BioFach 2012 has been sponsored by Nuremberg Messe GmbH in collaboration with the APEDA).

Source: Business Line

Retail price of Darjeeling Tea and others likely to rise by Rs 12

2012-02-17T09:58:00.005+05:30

Retail tea prices are set to increase by Rs 10 to 12 a kg from April due to fall in output and sharp jump in labour cost.

Labour cost in tea producing centres such as Darjeeling, Assam and Bengal has gone up substantially leading to rise in operational cost, said Mr Arun N Singh, Vice Chairman of Indian Tea Association and Managing Director of Goodricke Group in a statement on Thursday.

SALARY HIKE

The recent wage revision of tea workers by 34 per cent in the gardens of West Bengal including Darjeeling Tea Gardens and the likely hike in salary revision in Assam may push up cost resulting in retail tea price hike, he said. Nearly 2.2 million people are directly employed in the Rs 10,000-crore tea trade in the country.

Assam is the largest tea producer in the country with 500 million kg a year, followed by Bengal having 240 million kg a year tea production capacity.

The country has produced 985 million kg of tea in 2011 as against 966 million kg produced in 2010. Exports are expected to touch 190 million kg against 193 million kg recorded in 2010.

The remaining 795 million kg will be available for the local market while the domestic demand is pegged at 860 million kg, there will be shortage and price increase in tea, said Mr Singh.

Mr Harendra Shah, President, Federation of Maharashtra Tea Traders Association and Chairman, Federation of All India Tea Traders Association said that the quality of tea produced by many tea estates has improved in last few years, but the packaging standards have not been up to the mark, resulting into deterioration of quality along with spillage and pilferage. ITA should recommend good and effective packaging of tea to all its members, he said.

Source: Business Line

Assam tea output crosses 500 m kg

2012-02-17T09:56:00.003+05:30

After three years, production of Assam tea has once again crossed the 500-million kg mark. The State has recorded a total production of 508.74 million kg for the year 2011. The figures for last three years were: 480.28 million kg in 2010, 499.99 million kg in 2009 and 487.49 million kg in 2008.

This is for the third time production of Assam tea has crossed the 500-million kg mark over the past 11 years. Total tea production in the country for 2011 is 988.32 million kg, which is the highest over the past 11 years.

North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) Chairman Bidyananda Barkakoty told The Hindu that the credit for the increase in Assam tea production goes to small growers. Production from small growers accounted for about 30 per cent of total production in the State, he said.

The jump in production of Assam tea was despite decrease of two million kg in the Brahmaputra Valley and a drop of three million kg in the Barak Valley in December, 2011, as compared to the corresponding month of 2010. “The decrease in tea production in December was due to less rainfall than required in October. If we had sufficient rainfall in October than we would have got a good pluck in November-December and the final production figure for 2011 would have touched about 513 million kg in Assam and India's total production too would have touched 1,000 million kg,” he said.

The NETA Chairman said that due to drop in November-December production, three weekly sales at the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) had to be dropped in March. “We hope that this year we will have a good demand as there is no tea in the pipeline and there is no chance for carry forward.”

Mr. Barkakoty said the Tea Board statistics showed that Darjeeling recorded 9.7 million kg in 2011 as compared to 8.86 million kg in 2010, Dooars 143.23 million kg (144.56 million kg) and Terai 73.33 million kg (76.35 million kg) while total production in West Bengal 226.36 million kg in 2011 as against 229.78 million kg in 2010.

In 2011, Tamil Nadu recorded a total production of 167.22 million kg, Kerala 68.34 million kg and Karnataka 5.30 million kg.

The Brahmaputra Valley is the single largest tea growing area in the world. Out of the total area under tea in the Brahmaputra Valley, 31 per cent are owned by small growers. According to a survey by the Assam Government, there are 68,465 small tea gardens in 14 districts of the Brahmaputra Valley. Tea is grown in almost all the 27 districts of the State. There are 825 large tea gardens in the State. There are about 1.58 lakh small tea gardens (size below 10.12 hectares) in India, cultivating tea on around 1.62 lakh hectares and producing nearly 260 million kg annually at 440 bought leaf factories. which account for about 26 per cent of the total tea produced in India (according to Tea Board statistics), Mr. Barkakoty said.

Tea was declared as the ‘State Drink' of Assam by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on November 22 at the World Tea Science Congress held in upper Assam's Jorhat town on the occasion of 100 years celebration of Tocklai Experimental Station of the Tea Research Association.

Source: The Hindu

Govt affiliated Darjeeling Tea garden worker wage reach Rs 90

2012-02-12T10:44:00.000+05:30

Darjeeling: The West Bengal Tea Development Corporation has decided to increase the daily wage of labourers in its three Darjeeling Tea gardens to Rs 90, the standard amount paid by the industry in the region.

The hike comes after the trade union of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha threatened that it would launch a fast and stop the dispatch of Darjeeling tea from the three tea gardens if the wage was not increased from Rs 67 to Rs 90.

The Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union today called off the agitation following the increase in the wages of workers in Rangmuk-Cedar, Pandam and Rangaroon tea gardens.

An official of Rangmuk-Cedar tea garden in Darjeeling said: “We received a verbal instruction from the WBTDC head office in Calcutta to disburse wages at Rs 90 a day from February onwards. We have been directed to make requisition (for salaries) at the new rate and we have already started work. The labourers will be paid the arrears as and when the state government provides us with additional funds.”

The “arrears” he was referring to was the amount accumulated since April 1, 2011, when the new wage deal came into effect in the Darjeeling tea industry. Before that, the workers were being paid Rs 67 a day.

Although the headquarters of the WBTDC could not be contacted, sources said a circular on the wage hike was expected to be issued soon.

When the Morcha union issued the agitation threat on Wednesday, industries minister Partha Chatterjee claimed that the workers in the three Darjeeling WBTDC tea gardens were being paid Rs 90 as in the entire industry.

Baban Subba, a central committee member of the union, said today: “The tea workers are very happy with the development (the decision to increase the wage hike). We have decided to call off our agitation.”

Source: The Telegraph

India Tea Production fails to reach 1 billion kg mark

2012-02-12T10:35:00.000+05:30

Tea production increased 2.2 per cent in 2011 to a record but lower crop in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu prevented it from touching the magic one-billion-kg figure.

According to Tea Board data, production increased to 988.32 million kg (mkg) against 966.40 mkg the previous year. The previous record production was witnessed in 2007 when the production was 986.43 mkg.

WEST BENGAL

Output in West Bengal dropped to 226.36 million kg against 229.78 mkg a year ago, particularly with Terai region being a drag. Production in Terai dropped to 73.33 mkg against 76.35 mkg. Similarly, Dooars produced 143.23 mkg tea (144.56 mkg).

The West Bengal crop was hit by heavy rain during monsoon last year.

Darjeeling tea production increased to 9.7 mkg against 8.8 mkg a year ago.

Production in Assam increased over 28 mkg to 508.74 mkg with the Assam valley contributing an additional 31.93 mkg at 460.66 mkg (428.73 mkg). There was a 3 mkg drop in production in the Cachar region (40.97 mkg vs 51.55 mkg).

TAMIL NADU

In South India, production dropped by 2.4 mkg to 240.88 mkg (243.37 mkg) with the crop being over 3 mkg lower in Tamil Nadu. Kerala reported a better crop, while there was marginal fall in Karnataka.

Tamil Nadu's crop was hit initially by a dry spell in the early parts of 2011 and then by wet spells and frost in the latter part of the year.

The country had targeted a production of 1 billion kg by 2010 but poor crop management due to lower prices and weather combined to cause setback.

After touching a record 986.43 million kg in 2007, tea production dropped to 980.82 mkg in 2008 and further to 978 mkg in 2009 and 966.40 mkg in 2010.

Higher prices following lower crop in Kenya and Sri Lanka led to better prices in 2010. This, in turn, led to better crop management and higher production last year.

However, exports are estimated to have dropped by over 6 mkg in 2011 to 186.73 mkg (193.29 mkg) as Kenya and Sri Lanka made a strong comeback. Problems in exports to Iran and Iraq also contributed to the drop, last year.

Source: Business Line

Forest timber offer to tea gardens

2012-02-09T12:53:00.000+05:30

The government has told the tea garden owners to regularise their supply of firewood to workers and in case of shortage, to buy the extra from auctions conducted by the forest department.

The move was prompted by observations that smugglers posing as garden workers were raiding forests for timber. Tea workers frequently scout for firewood in the forests, since the supply from gardens is irregular. The firewood is part of the fringe benefit that a worker gets from the garden.

Asked how much firewood a garden worker was entitled to, an industry source said it was not measured in kilograms.

“The quantity is measured in volume. Each worker is entitled to 5ftX5ftX2.5ft (length-height-breadth) of timber a year,” said an industry source adding that shade trees were cut to supply firewood.

The government’s concern was conveyed at a meeting of garden managements convened by the forest minister Hiten Burman at Writers’ last week.

“I had come to know that the garden managements had not been providing firewood to the workers regularly for the last three years. As a result, workers are entering the forest for timber. They are being followed by the timber smugglers,” said Barman.

At the meeting, the minister also said his department would compensate any garden worker whose property was damaged by wild animals.

Representatives of the Darjeeling Tea Association, Indian Tea Association and the General Tea Association of India were present at the meeting.

Many tea gardens in the Dooars and Terai are located on the forest fringes and on elephant corridors. Tea workers and their houses are often victims of elephant and leopard attacks. The garden land does not belong to the managements and are taken on lease. According to forest norms, compensation is not given to damage caused by animals to property on government land. Now, a worker’s family is compensated only if he is killed by an animal.

Many gardens claimed that they spend more than Rs 5 lakh every year to repair damaged houses of workers. Sometimes, vast swathes of plantation are destroyed by marauding elephants.

The minister said his department was trying to work out a way to compensate the gardens. “I have asked the forest officials in north Bengal to enquire how it can be done, more importantly to find out what changes have to be made in the rules. This process will take time,” Barman said.

He said the garden managements had been told to ask workers not to cultivate paddy on unused land adjacent to forests as it attracts elephants.

“Like the forest villages in Bankura, we will also form halla parties in the gardens so that they keep a lookout for elephants at night and alert the workers,” he said.

Source: The Telegraph

Morcha threatens dispatch stop of tea from state own Darjeeling Tea gardens

2012-02-09T12:51:00.000+05:30

Darjeeling: The trade union of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has threatened to launch a fast and stop the dispatch of made tea from three state-owned estates in the Darjeeling hills if the workers are not paid the same wages as their counterparts in the industry.

The West Bengal Tea Development Corporation (WBTDC), a state government undertaking, runs Pandam, Rangaroon and Rangmuk-Cedar gardens in the hills.

The government had played a pro-active role in increasing the wage of garden workers from Rs 67 to Rs 90 in the Darjeeling tea industry with effect from April 1 last year.

“It is surprising that the WBTDC failed to increase the workers’ wages even a year after the government brokered deals between trade unions and garden owners on pay hike. We have been holding gate meetings for an hour from 8am in the three gardens since yesterday. The meetings will continue till February 11,” Babin Subba, a central committee member of the Darjeeling Terai-Dooars Plantation Labour Union, told The Telegraph.

Threatening to intensify the agitation, Subba said: “If we do not get a positive feedback from the government, the workers will start a hunger strike and stop the dispatch of made tea from the three gardens.”

The unions had entered into the wage deals with the Darjeeling Tea Association (DTA) and the Indian Tea Association separately (ITA). Most of the tea gardens in the hills are affiliated to either of the associations. Although the government plantations are not members of the DTA or the ITA, they generally follow the agreements inked by the two associations.

While Rangmuk-Cedar, located 35km from Darjeeling and in Kurseong subdivision, has 1,931 workers on its pay roll, Rangaroon and Pandam employ 219 and 268 labourers respectively. Both Rangaroon and Pandam are in the Darjeeling subdivision.

Industries minister Partha Chatterjee expressed surprise at the Morcha’s plan to stop the dispatch of tea from the WBTDC gardens. “Who said we are not giving them the revised wages? We are giving them the revised wages. I have conveyed this to Kurseong MLA Rohit Sharma. This kind of threat is not acceptable,” he said at Writers’ Buildings.

However, deputy manager (administration) N. Basu and company secretary S. Samandhar of the WBTDC admitted that the revised wages were not being paid. But they refused to say anything further on the issue.

Source: The Telegraph

Darjeeling Tea scheduled for e-auction sale

2012-02-09T12:39:00.001+05:30

Darjeeling tea would soon be offered for electronic auction after some software glitches were sorted out, the Calcutta Tea Traders Association said on Wednesday. "e-auction of Darjeeling tea has not been yet introduced because the product cannot be standardised. Each variety of Darjeeling tea is unique," chairperson of the Tea Traders Association, Sangita Kichlu, said at a news conference here.

Kichlu said there were also some glitches in the software which NSE.IT (information technology arm of NSE) was being looked into.

"We hope that e-auction in Darjeeling tea would be introduced in the next financial year," she said.CTC and orthodox variety were being sold through the e-auction route. At present 55 per cent of total tea produce of around 1,000 million kilograms were being routed through the e-auction route.
CTTA, an association of buyers, brokers and sellers, was celebrating its 125th year of existence.

Kichlu said Russia was now emerging a strong orthodox market and would partly compensate the loss the Iranian market due to the payments crisis.

Source: Business Standard

European Union extends special status for Darjeeling tea

2012-02-07T11:06:00.001+05:30

Darjeeling tea has become the first product from India to be protected as a geographical indication (GI) in the European Union (EU), according to the Tea Board. With this, the Darjeeling tea confirms its position among the world's best known teas and the qualities of Darjeeling tea are now legally recognised and protected in India and in the EU, says the Board.

WHAT IT MEANS

It means the name “Darjeeling” can only be used to denote tea grown in Darjeeling and which is processed in the typical Darjeeling style of manufacture in the factories situated within the specified gardens within the defined tea-growing area; and for which all steps of production, with the exception of packaging, (harvesting, drying and processing) has taken place in the defined area.

The registered name “Darjeeling” is protected in all the member States of the EU against:

(a) Any direct or indirect commercial use of the name Darjeeling in respect of tea or products comparable to tea or in so far as it exploits the reputation of the name Darjeeling;

(b) Any misuse, imitation or evocation even if the true origin of the product is indicated or accompanied by an expression such as ‘style', ‘type', ‘method', ‘as produced in', ‘imitation';

(c) Any other false or misleading indication;

(d) Any other practice liable to mislead the consumer as to the true origin of the product.

MAJOR VICTORY

The registration of Darjeeling represents a major victory for all producers, plantation workers, worldwide connoisseurs and consumers of Darjeeling tea and marks the successful culmination of a long arduous journey spanning four years.

Filed in November 2007, the application for Darjeeling tea as a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) under European law underwent normal lengthy administrative procedures before the European Commission.

More importantly, the application stood up to fierce objections from France, Germany, Italy, Austria and the UK on behalf of the different national members of the European Tea Committee (ETC).

Among other objections, ETC, representing EU tea blenders, claimed that the reputation of Darjeeling tea had been achieved by the EU tea blenders and not the producers and plantation workers.

Rejecting the objections, the European Commission held:

(i) That the savoir-faire and acquired skills employed by producers as well as the pedo-climatic features and geographical environment of the geographical area of Darjeeling (natural drainage of the soil, complex combination of very high rainfall and continuous low temperatures) significantly affect Darjeeling tea's characteristics which constitute the core of its reputation;

(ii) The name “Darjeeling” should only be used as a sales designation for tea grown and processed in accordance with the PGI. That means that, to be called “Darjeeling tea”, tea must be grown and dried in the Darjeeling area by traditional methods. The tea may be packaged outside of Darjeeling and teas from different Darjeeling tea gardens may be blended;

(iii) Tea which is a mixture of Darjeeling with other teas cannot bear the name “Darjeeling”;

(iv) Tea not conforming with the Darjeeling PGI specification can still be called “Darjeeling tea” for a transitional period of five years but only if that tea had been legally marketed in the EU for at least five years prior to October 14, 2009; this is, for example, applicable to green or white Darjeeling tea, but not to mixtures of Darjeeling tea with teas of others origin misleading the consumer;

(v) There is no proof of any generic status of the name “Darjeeling”.

Source: Business Line

Dooars sell readily at N. India tea auctions

2012-02-04T19:25:00.001+05:30

KOLKATA, FEB. 3: This week at Sale No. 5, the total offerings ( packages) at three North Indian tea auction centres at Kolkata, Guwahati and Siliguri were 4,03,954 as compared to 3,36,937 in the corresponding sale of the previous year, according to J Thomas & Company Private Ltd, the tea auctioneers. The offerings at Kolkata were 1, 73,360 (1, 61, 401) comprising CTC/Dust 1, 49,751 (1, 46,591), Orthodox 21,684 (12,397) and Darjeeling 1,925 (2,413). The corresponding figures for Guawahati 1, 26,516 (82,498) and for Siliguri 1, 04,078 (93,038). Assam CTC teas maintaining quality sold at around last levels while remaining Assams were irregularly lower, particularly browner sorts. Well-made Dooars sold readily around last levels while the remainder tended irregularly easier. There was good support from Tata Global and Hindustan Unilever. Western India dealers were active for the liquoring sorts. There was fair enquiry from North India and local sections. Exporters operated primarily on the bolder brokens. Few selected cleaner and well-made Orthodox varieties were readily absorbed and sold following quality. The remainder eased in value. Stalkier varieties and plainer sorts met with fewer enquiries and saw some withdrawals. North India buyers operated on the bolder whole leaf. Hindustan Unilever operated selectively for the fannings. There was some export interest. Few Darjeeling whole leaf grades sold in line with quality. Brokens tended irregular while fannings witnessed better enquiry from exporters. Hindustan Unilever was very selective. Brokens and fannings were supported mainly by the local dealers.

Source: Times of India

33% Salary hike from April for Darjeeling Tea garden staff

2011-12-07T12:31:00.001+05:30

After the hike in salary of the sub-staff of Darjeeling Tea plantations, the super-staff salary hike is also on the chart which will be applicable from April 2012.

After negotiations with the Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labor Union (DTDPLU) - affiliated to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) - the garden management has announced a 33% salary hike for super-staff including clerks, medical and technical workers.

After the increase in bonus and wages of the sub-staff earlier this year, the DTDPLU had been demanding an increase in salary of the super-staff. The union had even threatened to paralyze work in the garden last week after the management failed to do so.

Finally, the decision to increase the salary was taken at a meeting that was held till late in the night on Monday. There are more then 1,400 super-staff in the 87 tea gardens in the Hills of Darjeeling. "The 33% hike will be applicable for three years," said Sandeep Mukherjee, principal adviser to the Darjeeling Tea Association (DTA), an umbrella organization of the 87 Darjeeling Tea gardens.

Trade union leaders expressed satisfaction over the hike. "We are happy that our demand was met," said Suraj Subba, secretary of DTDPLU.

At present, the Darjeeling Tea plantation technical workers get something between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,500 according to their seniority and grade. The salary of medical and clerical staff range between Rs 8,000 and Rs 9,000.

Source: Times of India

Darjeeling Tea growers appeal the Center for extension of loan repayment

2011-11-22T10:15:00.001+05:30

Darjeeling: The Darjeeling tea growers have appealed to the Center to extend the moratorium on the repayment of loan to replant bushes from five to ten years.

According to the Special Purpose Tea Fund (SPTF) scheme launched by the Union commerce and industry ministry in 2007, growers who want to replant their gardens can get 50 per cent of the total cost as loan. The government gives 25 per cent of the cost as subsidy.

The scheme has provision for a moratorium of five years on the payment of the loans. The planters have to start repaying the loan from the sixth year onwards in eight equal installment annually.

The planters have said the scheme has very few takers in the hills as the bushes become viable only after 10 to 12 years of replanting.

“In the plains, tea bushes become economically viable within five years. However, in the Darjeeling hills, tea is produced only after 10-12 years of replanting. We want the government to announce a moratorium of at least eight to 10 years to make the scheme attractive for the hill gardens,” Sanjay Bansal, the former chairperson of the Darjeeling Tea Association, told The Telegraph.

The growers have also objected to the mandatory clause of uprooting all bushes that are over 50 years old.

“Unlike the plains where the yield starts to decline after the bush crosses 50 years, the yield of tea bushes in Darjeeling do not decline till it reaches the age of 75 years. This aspect should also be considered by the government,” said Bansal.

The hill planters also objected to the government’s cost estimate for uprooting and replanting bushes.

According the ministry, the total expenditure incurred by the planters in undertaking the exercise would stand at around Rs 3.27 lakh per hectare.

“The calculations are wrong for the Darjeeling industry. The expenditure (of uprooting and replanting) touches the Rs 8 lakh per hectare mark and the government should also revise this figure if it (the scheme) is to be made attractive,” Bansal said.

According to Bansal, the scheme had a target area of 9,000 hectares in Darjeeling.

“Only 12 per cent of the target has been availed by the industry according to the 2010 end figures,” he said.

The DTA had organised a program here today to hand over a cheque for Rs 20 lakh to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung for the relatives of the Bijanbari bridge collapse victims.

The association also handed over a cheque for Rs 10 lakh to the organizers of the Darjeeling Tea and Tourism Festival that will start on December 20.

Source: The Telegraph

Weather plays foul on tea

2011-11-17T05:45:00.001+05:30

KOLKATA: Blame it on the weather gods if tea production in India does not touch the magical 1,000-million kilogram (mn kg) mark this year. Production was hit due to sparse rainfall from late September and the mercury has plunged before it usually does, affecting tea farming. Total production so far by north and south Indian gardens together is 730 mn kg. Industry experts are not very hopeful of touching the 1,000-mn kg mark. "Since September 20, Assam has experienced very dry weather. Both the north bank of the Brahmaputra as well as upper Assam received low rainfall. The tea crop output is dropping rapidly this month. So, even if it rains now, the Assam tea gardens won't have the same yield. Anyway, some rain is required now to stop the drought-like conditions in the gardens," Rossell India managing director Indian Tea Association (ITA) chairman C S Bedi told TOI. In 2010, the total tea production in India was 966.40 mn kg. "The only year when production came close to the 1,000-mn kg mark was 2007 when Indian gardens together produced 986 mn kg. But production declined in the two subsequent years," said Sujit Patra, ITA joint secretary. Till September, north Indian (including Darjeeling, Terai, Dooars and Assam) production was up by 36.7 mn kg compared to the same period last year. South Indian (Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu) production during the same period was down by 4.6 mn kg. Till September last year, north and south Indian production was to the tune of 693 mn kg. Industry members also said since October was a festive month, plucking was affected. "This year, all Hindu religious festivals were in one month and there were some other religious festivals also that hit the crop," he said. "Although, there was a surge in crop production in the initial months, but I don't think it will be able to touch the 1,000 mn kg mark as temperatures in north India have already started dropping. Therefore, October, November and December will only see reduction in production," said Aditya Khaitan, managing director, McLeod Russel. His company is the world's largest tea producer. But the Darjeeling tea production can cheer up the tea buff. It is expected that Darjeeling's yield this year will be higher by 10-15% at around 9 mn kg. . "Till October, Darjeeling's 87 gardens together produced around 7.3 mn kg this year," said Darjeeling Tea Association secretary Kaushik Basu. Last year, Darjeeling produced 8 mn kg. Table: Indian Tea Production 2010: 966 mn kg 2009: 979 mn kg 2008: 981 mn kg 2007: 986 mn kg Source: Times of India

Surplus tea availability decreases CTC tea cost

2011-11-17T05:41:00.001+05:30

KOLKATA: Increased availability of tea in the auctions has pulled down prices of CTC black teas by 4%. The September crop was up by 36 million kg, which has just entered the market and has resulted in a drop in prices. The prices will go up only if November production is lower. The bulk of the Indian tea production is CTC teas. The CTC tea prices have slipped to Rs 127 per kg compared to Rs 132 per kg in 2010. Price of orthodox tea has slipped 17% to Rs 130 per kg from Rs 157 last year as tea exports to Iran have declined due to payment crisis. Iran is one of the largest buyers of Indian orthodox tea. Orthodox teas from Himachal Pradesh have also arrived at the auctions and are fetching similar prices of those produced in Assam and Bengal. From January to September this year, domestic tea production stood at 729 million kg against 693 million kg in the same period previous year. However, the Darjeeling tea prices have appreciated 16% due to increased demand in the domestic market. The average price of Darjeeling tea is hovering around Rs 340 per kg compared to Rs 293 per kg. "The price hike is driven by consumer demand. Indian consumers are gradually getting used to Darjeeling tea. The increased purchasing power has also contributed to this offtake," said Ashok Lohia, chairman of Chamong Tee (one of the biggest Darjeeling Tea producers). The regional packeteers from Punjab and western India are buying heavily at the auctions. Retailers in West Bengal are also buying teas in good volumes as the prices have dipped. However, the prices have improved for the small tea growers. Between October 8 and November 10, small growers were forced to sell green leaf to bought leaf factories at Rs 2-3 per kg due to a bumper crop. "For the last month, green leaves in Bengal and Assam have been selling at Rs 2-3 per kg on an average when the production cost was more than Rs 10," said BG Chakraborty, president of the Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers Association (CISTA). Source: Times of India

Dooars and Terai Tea Garden workers gets wage hike, now Rs. 85

2011-11-05T08:56:00.000+05:30

The Bengal tea industry and workers' unions on Friday fixed the minimum wage for Dooars and Terai tea garden workers across the state to Rs 85 a day followed by an annual hike of Rs 5 for the next two years. The wage hike will come into retrospective effect from April 1 of this fiscal.

According to the three-year agreement, the daily wage of the workers will be Rs 85 for the current year, Rs 90 for 2012-2013 and Rs 95 for the financial year ending on March 31, 2014.

Earlier, the daily wage in the plains tea gardens with 2.5 lakh workers had been Rs 67.

Ministers Purnendu Bose (labour), Gautam Deb (north Bengal development) and Partha Chatterjee (industries) were present at the meeting, where it was announced that the tea problem stood solved “as of now”.

“It’s not hundred per cent of what we had set out to achieve. But this is a win-win situation for all stakeholders. We are trying to do everything we can for the revival and rejuvenation of the tea industry,” said Chatterjee after the agreement was signed at Writers’ Buildings between the government, five planters’ associations and 35 labor unions.

“We had been negotiating with the garden owners and the labor unions for months to try and reach a consensus on the wage. Demands were as high as Rs 165 a day. But we had to find a common ground. The arrears, for the period between April 1 and October 31 this year, will be paid in two installments before Christmas and Holi,” said Bose. The new wages will be paid at the end of this week. The variable dearness allowance, the calculation of which is based on the All India Consumer Price Index and to which the workers are entitled to under the agreement, will be settled within the next six months.

“It took months to resolve the issue but our initiative helped reach a wage rate, which is the highest ever in the industry so far. Workers used to get a daily wage of Rs 67 which has been revised to Rs 85, meaning a hike of Rs 18. In the agreements facilitated by the previous government, the hike had never been so high,” north Bengal development minister Deb.

In April, the labor wing of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha had managed to strike a wage deal of Rs 90 a day, a hike of Rs 23, for workers of the Darjeeling tea industry.

Since then, the plains workers had been clamoring for a similar wage hike.

The state government has also decided to ask the Center to provide food-grain and amenities like drinking water, sanitation and medical facilities to the tea laborers. The fringe benefits are now provided by the managements of the respective gardens.

“We will talk to the Center to explore the possibilities of bringing these amenities under the ambit of the National Rural Health Mission,” said Bose.

The government, the owners and the labor unions also agreed in writing to ensure a smooth day-to-day running of the tea estates.

“We will strive to revive the tea industry by ensuring export growth, better revenue collection and consumer satisfaction. We are very serious about it. We will also speak to the Center and set up a tea directorate for the overall supervision of the industry,” said Chatterjee. “This agreement is just a stepping stone. A lot of responsibilities lie ahead for us,” he added.

The industries minister said the government would also try to revive the five state-owned tea estates which had been running on losses for years.

“We are happy with today’s agreement,” said Sukra Munda, the chairperson of the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad backed-Progressive Tea Workers’ Union.

“The issue had been pending for sometime to be resolved. Now it has been resolved,” said Harihar Acharya, the Terai committee president of the Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union, which is affiliated to the Morcha.

The planters, too, breathed a sigh of relief. “We have proved our sincerity about arriving at a settlement. But because of the revision in the wages, there will be a steep rise in production costs. The state government has promised to help us,” said Sanjoy Bagchi, the assistant secretary of the Dooars Branch of the Indian Tea Association.

Bridge collapses in Bijanbari, Darjeeling killing many

2011-10-23T07:24:00.001+05:30

Darjeeling, Oct. 22: A bridge packed with a festival crowd caved in near Darjeeling town this evening, killing at least 27 people when the wooden walkway tumbled 150ft into a swift-flowing river.

Police sources said nearly 80 people were injured in the 7pm collapse in Bijanbari, about 40km from Darjeeling town.

Most of those on the bridge — suspended by steel cables over the Little Rangit — were Gorkha Janmukti Morcha supporters who had gathered for a cultural program organized by the outfit as part of its five-day festival in the hills. Today was the festival’s last day.

Darjeeling district magistrate Saumitra Mohan said at least 27 people were killed in the collapse. “We have reports that some of the casualties were taken away by villagers from the incident site.”

Mohan, who reached the spot, added that efforts were on to send the injured to the Darjeeling district hospital.

Police sources said the darkness was hampering rescue and efforts were on to set up floodlights. “There is considerable water in the swift-flowing river and we fear that some of the victims could have been swept away by the current. The terrain is also very difficult,” said a senior police officer on the spot.

Sources in the district administration said the bridge, about 80ft long and 6ft wide, was built by the Darjeeling zilla parishad in 1972.

Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri said party volunteers were helping the police to rescue the injured.

“Our party president, Bimal Gurung, and I had visited Bijanbari this morning…. In the evening there was a large crowd, mostly local residents and those from nearby Darjeeling Tea plantations of Chunthung, Marybong and Linga, who had gathered to witness the cultural programs and the mela on the other side of the bridge,” Giri said.

In Calcutta, chief minister Mamata Banerjee told reporters she had asked north Bengal development minister Gautam Deb and Siliguri MLA Rudranath Bhattacharya to rush to Darjeeling.

Mamata, who is expected to leave for Darjeeling tomorrow, said the Bengal government would do all it could to stand by those affected “during this tragic hour” and bear all medical expenses.

Survivor Nirmal Chhetri, a driver, recalled the horror from his bed in Darjeeling district hospital. “There was a loud sound and I saw the bridge collapsing. I fell and cannot remember what happened after that.”

Source: Telegraph