DIBRUGARH, Oct 29 � The small tea growers have strongly reacted to the statement reportedly made by Pranab Kumar Sarma, former Superintending Manager of Tezpur Tea of Shaw Wallace, that they (the small tea growers) were not properly trained in tea production, resulting in low quality tea.
�Instead of extending their hand to the small tea growers for improving quality and quantity, the tea barons, factory owners and representatives of the organised sectors are discouraging small tea growers through criticism,� Hemanta Gohain, former general secretary of the small tea growers� body, alleged. Gohain, one of the founding members of the All Assam Small Tea Growers� Association, said that quality does not come first for the majority of the poor small tea growers as most of them are toiling only to make ends meet. �When the small tea growers lack capital, how can they undergo training on quality tea production?� Gohain questioned.
Referring to the statement of Pranab Kumar Sarma, Gohain said that the Assam Agricultural University and the Tea Research Association have been established to train students and not farmers. Experts can certainly be asked to help small tea growers but the Government should be interested in facilitating such programmes, he said. Gohain added that the infrastructure of the organised sector should be developed for small tea growers, too, for better quality and quantity.
