Taking several steps to create global brand for Indian tea
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has said that several steps have been taken to promote the Indian tea industry, address emerging challenges and make it a global brand.
Indian tea exports are facing different geo-political, geo-economic and logistical challenges.
Even then it could achieve more than 95 per cent of the set export target of $883 million.
According to the ministry, several steps have been taken to create an excellent brand for Indian tea and for the welfare of the families associated with the tea industry.
Tea Industry
- India is the second largest producer and fourth largest exporter of tea in the world after China.
- Also, India is the largest producer and consumer of black tea.
- The cultivation and export of tea is regulated by the Tea Board of India. It provides direct employment to 1.16 million people.
- Small tea growers produce 52 per cent of the total tea production.
The major varieties of tea grown in India are:
- Darjeeling tea, Assam tea, Nilgiri tea, Kangra tea etc.
- Darjeeling tea was the first Indian product to receive the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
Tea Board of India –
- The present Tea Board has been established under the Tea Act-1953, and is headquartered in Kolkata.
- It aims to make India a leading producer and supplier of quality tea to the global market.
- As well as creating effective management strategies for capacity building and facilitating innovation.
- Composition: It has 31 members including the Chairman. The members include Members of Parliament, tea growers, tea traders, tea grower-trade intermediaries, consumers and representatives of major tea producing state governments and representatives of trade unions.
- Tenure: The board is reconstituted every three years.
Ideal climate for tea cultivation –
- Temperature: Between 16 to 32 degree Celsius.
- Annual rainfall: 125 to 150 cm rainfall during 8-9 months of the year.
- Atmospheric humidity: 80 percent.
- Area: Its plantations are on the hills with a height of 600 to 2200 meters above the mean sea level. Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka etc. are major tea producing states.
Source – PIB
