Jalpaiguri: The Centre is set to roll out a comprehensive package for the country's tea industry shortly to revive the ailing sector, which is grappling with climate change and ageing plantations.
The govt also plans to leverage the free trade agreement with the European Union to boost tea exports to the European market.
Union junior minister for commerce and industries, Jitin Prasad, said this on Thursday during a visit to Danguajhar tea estate on the outskirts of Jalpaiguri.
"The Centre is very much aware of the problems the tea industry is facing. A comprehensive package will be announced shortly, which will not only focus on the rejuvenation of the industry but also stress on producing quality tea so that we can take advantage of the free trade agreement with the EU and increase exports," Prasad said, adding that the tea sector was a priority for his ministry.
India has 765 tea estates in Assam employing 7.3 lakh workers and 303 estates in Bengal with over 3 lakh workers. Bengal alone also has more than 60,000 small tea gardens.
"The tea industry in India is assailed by multiple factors, such as a diminishing crop and the perceptible effect of climate change on tea production by way of severe infestations of pests, leading to reliance on chemicals, the options for which are limited by FSSAI specifications. All of these, in varying degrees, contributed to the subdued growth of production," said PK Bhattacharjee, secretary general of Tea Association of India.