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Tea estate in Tripura goes organic

By Correspondent

AGARTALA, Oct 28 - Loduya tea estate, a society-run tea garden of South Tripura�s Sabroom subdivision is planning to explore the possibility of going into organic tea farming to get �bumper price� in the international market.

Tea business both at national and international markets is totally different when it comes to organic products � be it tea or vegetables. While a kg of non-organic green tea is being sold at Rs 400, organic green tea fetches Rs 8,000 a kg in international market.

If a tea planter wants to sell organic tea, he or she requires to get a certificate from an authorised agency along with recommendation of Tea Board of India (TBI).

�After a lengthy process, we have got the certificate which recognises Loduya tea estate produce as organic green tea. And, Diganta Barman, an official of TBI, State branch had played a key role to get the recognition�, said Snehashish Danda, the manger of the tea estate, over telephone from Sabroom.

�Since we have got the certificate, we are hopeful of getting a good price for the finished tea from Loduya tea factory. Now, tea planters of the State need to get a logo to ensure better marketing and price of the finished tea�, he added.

Danda has been in the tea sector for quite some time. However, he said that producing organic green tea is very much challenging. �It requires skilled tea pluckers to get a bumper price. Side by side, the tea planter must be focused on producing the best product without using any chemical�, he pointed out.

Diganta Barman, an official of TBI, had successfully turned small tea gardens into organic to make tea business a profitable one in Mizoram. He said that the same concept would be replicated in the State too.

�In fact, organic tea production is very much viable in case of small tea gardens. Since the State is having several small tea estates, the new concept will bring a positive change in the tea industry�, Barman pointed out.

Danda said Loduya tea estate had produced one lakh kg green and CTC tea last year and this year the production target is around 1.25 lakh kg.

�The face of Loduya tea estate will be changed completely if we are able to continue organic tea production for the next three years, a milestone for a newcomer in the international tea market�, he added

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