Lok Sabha Question No. 1808 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-21
Subject: Organic Tea
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Gajanan Chandrakant Kirtikar, Dhanush M Kumar, Gautham Sigamani Pon, Ganesan Selvam

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1808 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21 st   SEPTEMBER, 2020

## ORGANIC TEA

1808. SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

SHRI DHANUSH M. KUMAR:

SHRI GAUTHAM SIGAMANI PON:

SHRI SELVAM G.:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वािण�य एवं उ�ोग मं�ी ) be pleased to state:

- (a) the  reasons  for  not  developing  the  production  of  organic  tea  in  the  country  which  has tremendous demand abroad;
- (b) the total quantity of organic tea exported during each of the last three years and the current year and the foreign exchange earned;
- (c) whether the export of organic tea has  been affected by COVID-19 pandemic and  if so, the corrective steps taken in this regard;
- (d) whether the Government has taken any steps for expanding the cultivable area of organic tea and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise;
- (e) the other steps taken by the Government to promote the export of organic tea; and
- (f) the number of licences issued to tea farmers/tea gardens of Assam along with the funds allocated for the promotion of organic farming in the country during each of the last three years and the current year?

## ANSWER

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## THE MINISTER OF  COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)

(a):   India is one of the largest producers of organic tea with an annual production of around 10 million Kgs. Organic tea cultivation has gained momentum and is grown in all major tea producing states of the country. Organic tea production in the country has increased in recent years, as indicated below:

| Year    |   Quantity (M.T) |
|---------|------------------|
| 2017-18 |          8117.39 |

| 2018-19   |   10831.65 |
|-----------|------------|
| 2019-20   |    11192.8 |

(Source: Tea Board/APEDA)

(b):       The details of Organic tea exported during each of the last three years and the current year and the foreign exchange earned, is given in the following Table:

| Year              |   Exported quantity (in MT) |   Value (in USD Million) |
|-------------------|-----------------------------|--------------------------|
| 2017-18           |                     5221.72 |                    35.52 |
| 2018-19           |                     5897.3  |                    48.76 |
| 2019-20           |                     6210.89 |                    49.71 |
| 2020-21 (Apr-Aug) |                     2056.99 |                    16.9  |

(Source: Tea Board/APEDA)

(c):       The export of organic tea has declined marginally by 99.78 M.T (4.63%) during the period AprilAugust 2020-21 over the corresponding period of the previous year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to mitigate the problems faced by tea exporters due to the pandemic, the Tea Board has taken various  steps  like  online  issuance  of  licenses  and  health  certificates,  extension  of  date  of  filing  of various  mandatory  returns,  consultations  with  stakeholders,  buyer-seller  meets  through  video conferencing (VC), establishment of alternative auction platform at Jorhat, Assam, and implementation of a credit card for buyers to improve cash flow on the auction platform etc. It is estimated that with the improvement in the COVID situation worldwide, the demand for tea and export of organic tea will improve significantly.

(d):       The Government has accorded due priority to the promotion and development of organic tea farming in the country. The Government of India, through the Tea Board, inter alia, provides financial assistance for conversion to organic by small tea growers and for organic certification to plantation and manufacturing  units  under  the  Tea  Development  &  Promotion  Scheme.  The  State -wise  details  of organic tea cultivation are given below:

| State           | State               | State               |   Number of Organic Tea Gardens and Small Holdings |   Area of Holdings (ha) |
|-----------------|---------------------|---------------------|----------------------------------------------------|-------------------------|
| Assam           | Assam               | Assam               |                                                 45 |                 3439.87 |
| Mizoram         | Mizoram             | Mizoram             |                                                  3 |                   74    |
| Nagaland        | Nagaland            | Nagaland            |                                                  3 |                   67.9  |
| Tripura         | Tripura             | Tripura             |                                                 15 |                   93.56 |
| Meghalaya       | Meghalaya           | Meghalaya           |                                                  3 |                   62.47 |
| West            | Bengal (Darjeeling) | Bengal (Darjeeling) |                                                 60 |                11652.3  |
| Sikkim          | Sikkim              | Sikkim              |                                                  1 |                  177.46 |
| Tamil Nadu      | Tamil Nadu          | Tamil Nadu          |                                                 13 |                 1365.96 |
| Kerala          | Kerala              | Kerala              |                                                  5 |                  656    |
| Himachal        | Himachal            | Pradesh             |                                                  4 |                  161.06 |
| All India Total | All India Total     | All India Total     |                                                152 |                17750.6  |

Source: Tea Board.

(e):       In order to promote export of organic tea, the Tea Board undertakes promotional initiatives such as participation in international trade fairs dedicated to organic products and organising buyerseller meets. Generic promotion is also undertaken in key markets.

(f):         The number of licences issued by Tea Board, to farmers/tea gardens of Assam during the last three years and the current year, is given in the following Table:

| Year                         |   No of Licenses Issued |
|------------------------------|-------------------------|
| 2017-18                      |                     251 |
| 2018-19                      |                     393 |
| 2019-2020                    |                     402 |
| 2020-2021(Upto 15 September) |                     135 |
| Total                        |                    1181 |

Source: Tea Board

From  2017-18  to  2019-20  &  in  the  current  Financial  Year  2020-21, the  T ea  Board  has  provided financial  assistance,  as  detailed  below, for  development  and  promotion  of  tea,  including  organic tea  farming, in the country:

| Year                      |   Total disbursement (Rs. Crore) |
|---------------------------|----------------------------------|
| 2017-18                   |                           120.44 |
| 2018-19                   |                            91.57 |
| 2019-20                   |                           105.52 |
| 2020-21 (April to August) |                            23.27 |
| Total                     |                           340.8  |

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