For the first time, the Tea Board has fixed a minimum benchmark price for green leaf that bought leaf factories will pay to small tea growers in West Bengal and Assam.
The prices will be valid for this month. In June, the Tea Board took a decision to guarantee minimum price for small tea growers, following the recommendations of the Indian Institute of Plantation Management.
Prices for West Bengal districts were arrived at by taking into account the district-wise average of price realisation for the CTC (crush, tear and curl) variety by bought leaf factories at Siliguri and Jalpaiguri tea auctions in August.
Similarly, prices for Assam districts were arrived at by taking into account the district-wise average price realisation for CTC tea at the Guwahati tea 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 a kg and for Jalpaiguri, including Coochbehar district (Dooars), at Rs 11.72 a kg.
For Kishanganj (Bihar), the price has been set at Rs 10.17 a 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.