Assam's tea plantations have been at the forefront of the world for more than eighty years. There are many unwritten stories in the pages of history that Sir Robert Bruce started tea cultivation in India during colonial rule. Maniram Dewan is the first tea farmer in Assam to concentrate on tea cultivation as an Assamese after the first tea plantation in Chabuat, Assam. This is not the first time that I've heard of such a thing, but it's the first time I've heard of such a thing. However, Maniram Dewan was the first Assamese farmer to concentrate on tea as an Assamese. After this, many Assamese families opened large tea gardens and gave a private places to tea farmers. This is the first time that I've seen such a large number of women in the United States. This tea plantation is considered to be one of the largest enterprises in the world. This is how commercial tea cultivation started in Assam.
Assam alone accounts for 52% of India's total tea production. This is a kind of pride for all Assamese. This is because, in Assam, there are industries other than tea, such as edible oil, cement, etc., although they are not equivalent to the tea industry. The people of Assam have been able to concentrate on this industry as the soil, climate, environment, etc. of Assam are quite suitable for tea cultivation. In addition to solving the current problems in Assam, tea cultivation is also needed to raise foreign funds. Therefore, the importance of the tea industry in the economy of Assam is immense
In 1839, the Assam Tea Company was born This was followed by the establishment of the Jorhat Tea Company in 1859. This is the first time in the history of Assam that such a large number of companies have sprung up in Assam. This is how tea cultivation was started in Assam with a view to business direction. To date, about 950 large tea gardens and more than 1 lakh small tea gardens have been started. Today, Assam produces more than half of India's total tea production.
At present, however, the situation in Assam is not very satisfactory Large tea companies are facing losses due to problems in quality tea production and the negative impact of food security schemes. Meanwhile, a large company like McLeod has decided to sell the garden. The Assam Tea Company, which once became famous in the world, has also started selling tea gardens after learning of the losses. In the world market, tea from Kenya and Sri Lanka is more expensive than tea from Assam. Therefore, emphasis has been laid on improving the quality of tea in Assam through the production of White Tea and Green Tea. The Tokai Tea Research Center has already been called upon to pave the way for better quality tea production. The condition of the orchards of the Assam Tea Corporation under the Government is similar. The production of the Corporation's orchards has been declining day by day, which has resulted in the inability to increase the wages of the workers as well as the problem of regular payment of wages to the employees. Many tea plantations in the Barak Valley Corporation are now without tea trees.
Although Assam has been producing record amounts of tea and increasing sales recently, the tea sector in the state has been facing severe setbacks recently. Unusual changes in the weather have adversely affected tea production. In addition to being involved in the tea industry, the owners of the tea plantations are exploiting the workers indirectly in collaboration with the government, ignoring the lives of the workers in the tea estates. With the exception of two-tenths of the nearly 900 tea gardens under the state-owned company, the facilities provided to tea workers have not been provided in the manner required. As a result, tea workers have been protesting or protesting for justice. Tea workers and employers have been at loggerheads over tea wages from time to time. The quality of tea is declining and the quality of life of tea growers has been hampered due to a lack of regular employment, lack of proper management, etc. Without proper management and sincerity on the part of the owners, the overall development of the tea garden and the people of the tea garden would not have been possible without special contributions to the public life and socio-economic development of Assam.
The history of small-scale tea cultivation in Assam is not very long For centuries, the tea industry in Assam has been run by large corporations. Therefore, there was no time for the general public to think of cultivating tea. In 1978, under the People's Government, a scheme was devised to popularize tea cultivation as a 'farmer's farm'. But with the fall of the Janata government, the scheme came to an end After the 1967 elections, some educated people from Assam opened private tea gardens and paved the way for self-reliance. Since then, a silent green revolution has started in Assam Today, a small number of small-scale tea plantations have sprung up in Assam, following in the footsteps of a handful of entrepreneurs. This is probably the beginning of small-scale tea cultivation
In the last few years, small-scale tea cultivation in Assam has been gaining momentum. In addition to several districts of Ujjain Assam, more than one lakh farmers from different parts of Central and Namni Assam have set up small tea gardens in the state to create a latent awakening. The small tea industry, which has taken the lead in tackling the problem, is likely to expand in the state in the near future. In such a scenario, farmers need to pay special attention to certain aspects in order to become more profitable through tea cultivation. Since the tea industry is a perennial crop, the management of the orchard by adopting improved farming methods will definitely help in increasing production in the long run.
Small-scale tea cultivation in Assam has been able to expand exponentially, although many new problems are also facing small-scale tea growers to date. The problem is that raw tea is unfortunately deprived of a fair price The important thing is that in contrast to the increase in the wages of the workers in the tea gardens of the big companies, there has been an uproar in the minds of the workers of the small tea farmers. It is a matter of concern that the government is depriving the small tea farmers of the same benefits as the owners of large companies are increasing the subsidy in every field. If the government has such an attitude towards small tea farmers, it will arouse disgust in the minds of the farmers. As a result, this dreaded problem will lengthen the list of government house counts. It is pertinent to note that the steps taken by the government for the development of small tea farmers to date have not only benefited the tea farmers but also led to their loss. Therefore, the government needs to open a private tea ministry for the overall development of small tea farmers.
Most of the tea growers in Assam have not been able to integrate with the basic vocational system. Due to the lack of a conducive environment in the raw material market, farmers have not been able to come to the right conclusions. Gardening requires a variety of chemicals, fertilizers, etc. At present, the prices of these items have gone up due to rising prices of commodities However, the price of raw materials has not increased in comparison Therefore, it has become impossible to bear the cost of raw materials produced at low cost. The raw material process is entirely agricultural and dependent on the wind. Therefore, the amount of product may be less In such cases, if the producers are not able to get the right price for the product, it will be a big problem for them. Therefore, it has become imperative to increase the price of raw materials In order to increase the price of raw tea, the government has to take steps to force the millers to buy tea.
Assam's economy is currently being plundered by small-scale tea farmers, who are the main contributors. The looters have started looting In fact, they have refused to pay a fair price to small tea farmers. For the past three months, small tea farmers have been forced to sell raw tea at a price less than two times the production cost. Large tea garden authorities and mill owners are reluctant to pay a fair price for raw tea, which is far from profitable. But after paying a reasonable price for only two or three months of the year, the mill owners conspire to reduce the price on the pretext of not buying the leaves. Every year, the owners of the mills involved in such conspiracies are reluctant to buy the leaves from the tea growers and bring down the prices of raw materials to an abnormal rate. For the past two to three months, small tea farmers have been forced to sell raw materials due to losses incurred by the mill owners.
The demand for organic products is on the rise in the domestic and foreign markets. The products produced by these applications are harmful to the body, although the value of the products produced in this way has increased in the market. For small tea farmers in Assam, such a situation has brought both challenges and opportunities. As organic green tea or general tea plantations have grown in the country and abroad and their prices have become quite high in the market, our small tea farmers will be able to convert their orchards into organic orchards and produce a limited amount of 'green tea'.
Assam's small tea growers will not be busy with raw material production alone. It is necessary to acquire full efficiency in the distribution system by producing special types of tea leaves. Of course, it is a good sign that many tea growers in this field have progressed efficiently at various stages, including setting up mills. If small tea growers can withdraw their tea production and distribution system, they will be able to take over the domestic tea market and keep the small tea plantations free from exploitation by large factory owners. The government should also formulate an effective plan to move small tea farmers in that direction and encourage them with the necessary assistance and contribution. Such a system would pave the way for self-reliance through agro-based enterprises as well as bring economic awakening to the small tea farmers of Assam. In addition, small-scale tea cultivation can be used to recruit oneself as well as other people. On the other hand, in order to prevent foreigners and expatriates from cultivating tea, the soil in Assam must be kept under control. As in the case of Assam, there are external problems Therefore, one of the ways to prevent this is to cultivate tea on a small scale and keep the soil compacted.
Small-scale tea cultivation has taken the farmers on the path of progress and has also strengthened the state economically. Tea farming has led to an increase in the income of low-income people before commercial farming. In the case of tea cultivation, the farmers have to pay various taxes to the government The former government paid tribute by collecting profits from tea farmers. But the good news is that the current BJP government has exempted small tea farmers from cultivating tea up to 30 bighas. One of the positive aspects of small-scale tea cultivation in Assam is that it has been enthusiastically embraced by the present section of the youth. Employees are employed in a friendly manner, and there is a relaxation of work-time obligations. This is because of the fact that with the help of government schemes like DRDA or the Prime Minister's Employment Scheme, small tea farmers can do what they have not been able to do without any government assistance. This is an important step for the economic development of the state.
