Terai Dooars-A group of small tea growers from the Dooars is ready to set up their own factory

Siliguri, Nov. 10: A group of small tea growers from the Dooars is ready to set up the first factory of their own, frustrated with the low price they get from the bought-leaf factories.

The Tea Board of India has agreed to give the Panbari growers Rs 1.25 crore to set up the factory, the first of its kind by small tea farmers who sell their produce either to the bought leaf factories or to the bigger gardens.

The 325 growers, owners of tea estates of less than 25 acres, have also become the first self-help group to get licence from the tea board to operate as a group.

The BLFs have been accused of not sticking to the price-sharing formula. According to the formula, the growers are supposed to be paid 52 per cent of the price of tea in auctions and the BLFs will get the remaining 48 per cent.

“The small tea growers met us yesterday and we asked them to build their own factories, instead of accusing the BLFs of paying them low prices. It was then that this group from Panbari said they were ready with their factory plan,” G. Boriah, the director (tea development) of the tea board, told The Telegraph over the phone from Calcutta.

Two other SHGs from north Bengal have also approached the tea board. “They claimed they have 500 and 400 growers as members respectively. We have asked them to detail their plans by employing professionals and then come to us,” he said.

The tea board, which has received a one-time special grant of Rs 10 crore from the Centre for growers from Scheduled Castes, said a financial assistance of around Rs 1.25 crore would be extended to the Panbari group, which has also acquired the land. “As the majority of the Panbari growers are Scheduled Castes, we can help them with funds from this corpus,” Boriah said.

Tea board sources said last week, a meeting was held in Assam to encourage similar initiatives in the state. “The response from the government of Assam was overwhelming. Now that the Panbari group has come forth in Bengal, we are planning to set up three factories each in Bengal and Assam. Once they become operational, like in Kenya, they can be models for other growers,” the tea board official said.

In Kenya, small tea growers are controlled by the Kenya Tea Development Authority or KTDA. “There are 60 factories run by the small growers and monitored by the KTDA in Kenya. We are planning to replicate this model and develop a marketing mechanism with active support from the growers.”

According to the Kenya model, the small growers should first form a group and then set up factories, followed by a consortium and a marketing company to merchandise their tea in domestic and international markets, Boriah said.

“The tea board will provide all possible assistance but the stakeholders or growers, will have to come forward.”

Bijoygopal Chakraborty, president of the Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers’ Associations, said the proposals were to be appreciated. “The Panbari group has done well in the past few years and will soon start constructing the factory. We had been always insisting on the formation of groups and opening of factories, instead of banking on BLFs,” said Chakraborty, who was part of the delegation that met Boriah.