Tea Board plans to restore Kangra tea

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, April 26

The Tea Board of India has envisaged a plan to restore the lost glory of Kangra tea. It has prepared a master plan to rejuvenate and revive the Kangra tea industry by promoting new tea plantations in the area and revive abandoned tea gardens.

The board has enhanced the strength of field officials in Palampur. Four new posts, including the deputy director, factory adviser and two development officers, have been created.

The Tea Board of India has sanctioned a project of Rs 15 lakh to conduct a baseline survey of the abandoned area under tea cultivation. Another project for the revival of Kangra tea and its organic farming has been awarded to CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishavidyalya, Palampur.

The board has planned to boost the tea production up to 10 times from the current figures over the next decade.

A senior official of the Tea Board said there were nearly 4,500 hectares of non-conventional tea-producing areas in the Kangra valley. In addition, there are nearly 1,000 hectares of organised tea gardens and 2,300 hectares of abandoned tea gardens.

The Tea Board intends to promote small tea growers by constituting self-help groups. As per the plan, 20 tea growers can work together in a group. The Tea Board will provide subsidy between 25 per cent and 40 per cent on many schemes.

The board has also taken up the matter with the Government of India for providing loan for the purchase of new machinery, construction of godowns and sheds, besides subsidy on fertilisers to tea growers.