Jorhat, Dec. 15: Organic small tea growers in Assam have joined hands to launch a common brand in a bid to capture both national and international markets.
A decision in this regard was taken at the first foundation day of the Organic Small Tea Growers Association, Assam, held at Bamunbari in Dibrugarh district yesterday.
Bhabendra Mohan Borgohain, secretary of the association, told The Telegraph today that it was a unanimous decision of the members to launch a special brand through which the best quality hand-made organic tea could be marketed.
"Such a brand is the need of the hour to capture both national and international markets. With a common brand, we are hopeful of doing good business," he said.
The association has 45 members involved in making handmade tea, which are sold by the producers under different names like Pahi, Nahor, Senehi, Disa, et al.
Borgohain said the name of the special brand has not been decided yet but the association is planning to launch it early next year.
No chemicals are used in the plantations and local machines are used to produce this particular variety of tea.
The teas have been exported to many countries for years but lack of proper marketing has failed to attract more buyers.
"We have been exporting the teas to countries like Canada, Australia, the US, England and Germany but in a very limited manner and by different individuals. We need a common brand to get global recognition. It's time to think big," Borgohain said.
Handmade tea fetches between Rs 1,200 and Rs 2,000 per kg in the domestic market and up to Rs 3,000 when exported. Hence, the association, with support from the Tea Board of India, has been promoting production of organic tea in the state.
Borgohain said the association has also decided to provide better facilities at the various training centres of organic hand-made tea at Rajgarh, Moran, Dhekiajuli and Naharkatia so that more growers take up organic tea production, which has good demand in the international market.
There are about 500 small tea growers in the state who have taken to organic tea production.
He said Assam's traditional handmade organic tea received a tremendous response at the World Tea and Coffee Expo in Mumbai a couple of months ago from both national and international buyers. This was the first time that handmade organic tea was displayed at the expo.
Three members of the association - Borgohain, working president Debandra Gogoi and vice-president Dilip Gogoi - participated in the expo, where 25 brands of organic tea from Assam were displayed.
Borgohain said that a few Indian brokers who visited the stall at the expo have assured to export the product from next year.
Tea scientist Pradip Baruah, who has been involved with handmade tea growers in Assam since several years now, said this particular variety of tea is far superior to the normal variety and it was because of lack of proper marketing strategies that it has not being able to do good business.
"A common brand could be a good strategy to market the product," he said.
