Dimapur, November 17 (MExN): The Director of Tea Development, Tea Board Kolkata, S. Soundararajan visited Nagaland on November 12 and 13.
According to a press release, the visit is reportedly the first by any higher official from Tea Board head office to Nagaland.
During his visit, Soundararajan interacted with Chief Secretary, GoN, Finance Secretary Kikhoto and other dignitaries including the president of All Nagaland Small Tea Growers Association (ANSTGA), Shami Angh and Secretary Imnasunep Ao.
Soundararajan mainly stressed on consolidation of Nagaland tea cultivation. He expressed that most of the green leaf produced in Nagaland goes out of the state. “If the same can be processed within the state, then Nagaland can have their own characteristic tea,” he said.
The director also requested that growers of Nagaland to slowly shift to organic cultivation.
It was also informed that Tea Board under its Tribal Area Sub Plan can assist the farmer producer organisation to set up their big factories or individuals/SHGs to form mini tea factories. The scale of assistance is back-ended subsidy up to 40% with a ceiling of Rs two crore to big factories and Rs 33 lakh to mini tea factories. Under the tribal area sub plan scheme there are other assistants such as on mechanical harvesters, pruning machines, weighing Scales, power sprayers and others.
ANSTGA, president Shami Angh assured to create necessary awareness amongst small tea growers of Nagaland and requested director of tea development to set up a separate office of tea board and TRA at Nagaland.
