Bharatiya Cha Parishad stresses innovation & sustainability for tea industry’s future
Outgoing chairman of the Bharatiya Cha Parishad (BCP) Nalin Khemani highlighted environmental and economic challenges, urging diversification and social responsibility.
A file image of Beautiful tea plantation of the Karbi Anglong district of Assam (Photo: @DRPRADIPBARUAH2/X)
Dibrugarh, May 6: Of late, sustainability and viability have be-come widely discussed subjects among the stakeholders of the tea industry, particularly the planters.
Tea planters under the Bharatiya Cha Parishad (BCP), at its 80th annual general meeting held at a resort here during the weekend, discussed the future of the industry and how to make it viable and sustainable.
"Sustaining the tea industry is in-deed a challenging task, facing issues like environmental concerns, rising production costs, and climate change impacts, all of which impact productivity and pricing. To ensure long-term viability of our industry, we must proactively innovate, adopt sustainable practices, and stay ahead of the curve. This entails embracing cutting-edge technologies, exploring new markets, exploring alternative cropping, and prioritizing environ mental stewardship and social responsibility," said outgoing BCP chairman Nalin Khemani.
He stressed diversifying land use by adopting alternate uses in at least 25 per cent of the tea area and ensure the livelihood of thousands of workers. "By embracing change, we can secure the future of our industry and ensure its continued prosperity. This is not just a responsibility we owe to ourselves, but also to our stakeholders, including farmers, workers, and consumers, who depend on our success," he said.
Former Union Minister and Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS) president Paban Singh Ghatowar attended the meeting as the chief guest. In his address, the trade union leader advocated a multifaceted approach encompassing sustainable practices, innovation, use of emerging technology, strategic marketing, etc., for the tea industry to thrive.
Tea industrialist Manoj Jalan called for innovation and application of intelligent technologies to improve quality, efficiency and marketing of tea. Tea Board of India former chairman Prabhat Bezbaruah stressed quality tea production, asking the tea planters to focus on high- quality tea that meets international standards and addresses evolving consumer preferences.
"The tea industry, which is the pride of Assam, can continue to pros-per and thrive only if all stakeholders come together to revitalize the industry and ensure long-term sustainability," he said.
The BCP, which has 103 members both from the tea estates and bought leaf factories of the State, will now be led by Sarvesh Saharia as its chairman for the 2025-2027 term.