The Tea Board has for the first time announced a minimum benchmark price for green leaf payable by bought leaf factories to small tea growers in West Bengal and Assam. The prices will be valid for September.
The decision on guaranteeing a minimum benchmark price for small tea growers was taken by the Tea Board in June following the recommendations of the Indian Institute of Plantation Management.
Prices for West Bengal have been arrived at by taking into account the district-wise average of price realisation for CTC variety by bought leaf factories at Siliguri and Jalpaiguri tea auctions in August.
Similarly the prices for Assam have been arrived at by taking into account district-wise average price realisation for CTC tea at Guwahati auction centre in August.
In West Bengal, the minimum benchmark price for Darjeeling and North Dinajpur (Terai) districts has been fixed at Rs 11.15 per kg and for Jalpaiguri, including Coochbehar districts (Dooars), at Rs 11.72 per kg. For Kishanganj (Bihar), the price has been set at Rs 10.17 per kg.
In Assam, the prices per kg announced for various districts are as follows: Udalguri Rs 18.41, Darrang Rs 17.68, Nagaon Rs 17.09, Sonitpur Rs 16.77, Karbi Anglong Rs 16.27, Sivsagar Rs 16.26, Goalpara Rs 15.67, Golaghat and Jorhat, Rs 15.57 each, Dibrugarh Rs 15.44, Tinsukia Rs 15.13 and Cachar Rs 13.28.
It takes about 4.6 kg of green leaf to produce a kg of made tea.
santanu.sanyal@thehindu.co.in