<p>Low green leaf price offered by tea factories and rising cost of production has left over 2.5 lakh small tea growers, mostly in Assam and Bengal worried and gasping for government's help.</p>.<p>In a letter to union industry minister, Piyush Goyel, the Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers Associations (CISTA) has said that factories were paying an average Rs. 15 to 17 per kg of green leaf from small tea growers, mostly in Assam and Bengal whereas their average cost of production increased upto Rs. 19 per kg following a hike in wage and fertilisers. </p>.<p>"The biggest challenge being faced by the small tea growers is that the dictated price they get from green leaf is never sufficient to meet their cost of production, threatening their income security and plunging them into chronic indebtedness," president of CISTA, Bijaygopal Chakravarty said in the letter. </p>.<p>CISTA said there are more than 2.5 lakh small tea growers (less than one hectare) and they contribute 51 per cent of total tea production in the country. Assam and Bengal has maximum number of small tea growers. Most of the small tea growers don't have their factories and so depend on leaf factories to sell their green leaf.</p>.<p>The CISTA said the monthly benchmark minimum price fixed by Tea Board of India was also not helping as the tea factories are not paying prices as per the board's norm. The CISTA urged the Centre to declare Rs. 25 per kg as the minimum support price for green tea leaf for small tea growers. "Kenya recently declared minimum support price for over 5 lakh small tea growers," it said. </p>.<p>"The fact that this is a national phenomenon hints at structural reasons for the failure in making tea cultivation sustainable," Chakravarty said. </p>.<p>Assam MLA, Akhil Gogoi also demanded that minimum support price be offered to the small tea growers to secure their income and their livelihood.</p>
<p>Low green leaf price offered by tea factories and rising cost of production has left over 2.5 lakh small tea growers, mostly in Assam and Bengal worried and gasping for government's help.</p>.<p>In a letter to union industry minister, Piyush Goyel, the Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers Associations (CISTA) has said that factories were paying an average Rs. 15 to 17 per kg of green leaf from small tea growers, mostly in Assam and Bengal whereas their average cost of production increased upto Rs. 19 per kg following a hike in wage and fertilisers. </p>.<p>"The biggest challenge being faced by the small tea growers is that the dictated price they get from green leaf is never sufficient to meet their cost of production, threatening their income security and plunging them into chronic indebtedness," president of CISTA, Bijaygopal Chakravarty said in the letter. </p>.<p>CISTA said there are more than 2.5 lakh small tea growers (less than one hectare) and they contribute 51 per cent of total tea production in the country. Assam and Bengal has maximum number of small tea growers. Most of the small tea growers don't have their factories and so depend on leaf factories to sell their green leaf.</p>.<p>The CISTA said the monthly benchmark minimum price fixed by Tea Board of India was also not helping as the tea factories are not paying prices as per the board's norm. The CISTA urged the Centre to declare Rs. 25 per kg as the minimum support price for green tea leaf for small tea growers. "Kenya recently declared minimum support price for over 5 lakh small tea growers," it said. </p>.<p>"The fact that this is a national phenomenon hints at structural reasons for the failure in making tea cultivation sustainable," Chakravarty said. </p>.<p>Assam MLA, Akhil Gogoi also demanded that minimum support price be offered to the small tea growers to secure their income and their livelihood.</p>
