Small tea growers urge Centre for restrictions on sub-standard imports

Small tea growers (STGs) have urged the Union Commerce Ministry to take steps to curb import of sub-standard crop from countries like Kenya and Nepal and protect the domestic industry.

The Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers' Association (CISTA), the apex body of STGs, in a letter to Union Commerce minister Piyush Goyal, claimed that more than 53 per cent of the domestic production is contributed by them.

Tea Board has defined STGs as planters whose area of cultivation is within 25 acres and mostly scattered across the tea-growing regions.

According to CISTA, the number of STGs is estimated at three lakh in the country.

The association claimed that between January and October 2024, Kenya Tea Board data revealed that India imported 13.71 million kilogramme of tea from that country, as compared to 3.53 million kilogramme in the similar period of 2023.

CISTA said that the quality of tea imported from the African country was cheap and of sub-standard which is often blended and sold within the country and also re-exported under an Indian brand.

From Nepal, India imported 13.66 million kilogramme of tea in 2023, CISTA said in the letter.

The association said that when the domestic industry is witnessing an oversupply situation, the Tea Board of India issued an order for early closure of the gardens since the last eight years with the view to improve quality, price and supply position in the market.

CISTA said this is a clear dichotomy since the government is trying to manage over-supply by ordering early closure of the gardens on one hand, and allowing imports of cheap and inferior quality of teas from these countries.

According to the association, these cheap and sub-standard quality of teas will flood the domestic market in the very near-term, this will portend a dangerous future for the Indian tea industry in terms of price and quality.

CISTA has urged the Centre and other stakeholders like the West Bengal and Assam governments in this regard.

The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and Nepal allow zero-duty tea imports from the neighbouring country.