Guwahati, May 7: The newly appointed Tea Board of India chairman Prabhat Kamal Bezboruah has called for ensuring a higher price for good quality green leaf bought from small tea growers.

Talking to The Telegraph on his agenda, Bezboruah, who is also the first planter to head the Tea Board, said his topmost priority would be to find a way to improve the green leaf quality of small growers.

"We need to find a way to ensure that good quality green leaf from small tea growers sells at a much higher price than sub-standard leaf so that the premium for green leaf increases. Simultaneously, we should ensure that estate factories who buy green leaf continue to take a specified quantum even during the high cropping months to prevent price collapse owing to higher supply," he said, adding that the small tea growers should have a good marketing network for their produce.

Bezboruah will take charge on Tuesday.

On whether a planter can do the job better for the Tea Board, he said the board had been run by some exceptional bureaucrats.

"It will be presumptuous to say that a planter will necessarily run it better. All I can say is that I should be able to bring a different perspective which may reorient the board's policies in line with the stakeholders' requirements and expectations," Bezboruah said.

On how much he can achieve as the chairman despite it being a "titular" post, he said it would depend on the incumbent to make the most of the situation.

Bezboruah said shifting the Tea Board of India office to Assam may not be a practical step as there would be opposition from Bengal.

According to him, what is needed is to have a much better regional headquarters, such as Coonoor in Tamil Nadu, with own building, staff quarters, guesthouses of small tea growers and planters and a fully-empowered executive director.

Many organisations in Assam have been demanding shifting of the board's office to Assam as it is the largest tea producing state in the country.

Bezboruah said he would also lay stress on integrated pest management to reduce pesticide load, development of exceptional quality clones, review of export policy with a focused thrust on selected markets, value-added products and immediate steps to stop adulteration and colouring of tea.

Bezboruah, who has a master's degree in finance from the University of Pennsylvania, said all efforts must be made to build on the strength of Assam tea.

"Assam tea is unique. We should build on its strengths. One of the strengths is Assam's orthodox tea. In the short term we need to ensure that our plucking standards improve chiefly for the small tea growers' sector, " he added.