GUWAHATI, Oct 26 - The Tea Board has begun a search for an end-to-end technology to ensure traceability of the entire value chain of tea trade.
It has invited expression of interests (EoI) from the prospective bidders for designing, development and commissioning of the project of integrating various online systems for ensuring traceability.
The Tea Board is looking at a combination of latest technology-enabled solution � preferably blockchain technology � for integrating the existing systems which will convert the standalone applications into a ring fenced electronic environment capturing the entire details of supply chain from procurement of raw materials by the manufacturers to the disposal of made teas to the primary buyers through auction.
This integration will help the end consumers in traceability of the Indian origin teas � GI teas as the starting point � by virtue of digitisation of the Indian tea marketing channel and bringing the Indian tea industry into the mainstream of digital economy.
The move by the Tea Board comes amidst the challenges the industry is facing now in terms of oversupply, quality concerns, low price realization, reducing global demand, non-remunerative prices for the small growers, etc.
The Tea Board feels that the integrated system will create a transparent and free market structure to ensure level playing field for all stakeholders in the Indian tea market.
The integrated system will also be able to create visibility of quality Indian origin tea to the consumers, thereby enhancing price realization for tea.
It will also provide tamperproof and auditable data to the Tea Board pertaining to supply, demand and consumption of tea within India and abroad.
The board feels that the proposed technology will help bring about quick resolution of issues pertaining to quality of tea, etc., as and when highlighted by the consumers through the application.
