JONAI, Sept 28 - Around 500 small tea growers dwelling in the foothill areas of Siang valley in Arunachal Pradesh and bordering Jonai in north Assam are looking for a tea factory to locally process their yielding with low supply cost.
The small tea growers, who have started yielding, have lamented that due to absence of local factory, they are compelled to supply green leaves either to Siang Tea Industries at Oyan in Arunachal or Ananda Tea Estate in Lakhimpur district. The farmers said that tea companies, showing high transportation cost, procure their worthy green gold with low rate consequently incurring lost to them every year.
According to report, the small tea growers of the region produce an average of 18 lakh kg green tea leaves worth Rs 45 crore per year at Rs 25 per kg leaf. The tea farmers, observing growing trend of the tea leaves production, feel necessity of establishment of a local factory at Jonai near Nari-Seren area of Arunachal.
Observing the need of the small tea growers of Siang valley and Jonai, a local trader has come forward to establish a tea factory with installation of complete processing, packaging and commercial units. The businessman met Jonai (ST) MLA Bhuban Pegu and small tea growers for setting up of the tea factory recently. A plot of land measuring 6 bighas at Janji village (Dekapam) under Jonai Revenue Circle has been allotted for this purpose.
