A tea garden

Agartala, Aug. 29: Amid the ruins of a crumbling industry in Tripura, Durgabari tea estate stands tall.

The garden, run by a diligent co-operative, has maintained an upward growth rate at the time when major tea estates in the state were collapsing because of various reasons. The garden began with only 15 workers, but the workforce has now expanded eight times its original number.

Describing the one of the reasons behind the success story, Panu Mazumder, member of the board of directors, said efficient co-operative management helped the estate keep the production cost at a low level over the years. “We have not faced the crisis that has affected other tea estates because of a collective effort and low production cost,” he added.

Though cost of production has outscored the profit margin in the state’s 49 private gardens, Durgabari has set an exemplary example by surviving the tide and expanding its operations.

With a grant of Rs 25 lakh from the North Eastern Council (NEC) and loan of Rs 34.61 lakh from the Tea Board, the tea estate built its own processing unit at a cost of Rs 1.25 crore in October 2002. The processing unit, which was inaugurated yesterday by Tea Board chairman Nabakumar Das, has the capacity to process 14 lakh kg of green leaves with a total output of 3,00,000 kg. Production of green leaves in Durgabari is 9,00,000 kg, while the management is planning to buy the remaining 5,00,000 kg from neighbouring estates and small producers at the rate of Rs 5.5 per kg. “This will open up opportunities for small tea growers and we will make an upward revision of purchase rates,” Mazumder said.

“Our efforts have brought us success. We were greatly inspired by the best co-operative award given by the National Co-Operative Development Corporation in 2002,” Mazumder said. The cash reward of Rs 50,000 that came with the award was used for development projects.

Das, the chairman of the Tea Board, paid tributes to the success achieved by Durgabari in the co-operative sector. He said the board would spend Rs 35 crore this fiscal for quality improvement, marketing and research on tea in the Northeast. “Besides, another Rs 57 crore would be spent for reviving sick and closed tea gardens,” he added.

The Left Front government strengthened the co-operative sector in the tea industry soon after it took the reins in the state in 1978 and floated the Tripura Tea Development Corporation (TTDC). The corporation was formed to save workers in seven sick gardens in Sadar and Khowai subdivisions by taking over their management from individual owners and giving it to a workers’ co-operative.