Lok Sabha Question No. 1014 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-26
Subject: Assam Tea
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Naba (Hira) Kumar Sarania

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †1014 ANSWERED ON 26/07/2023

## ASSAM TEA

## †1014.   SHRI NABA KUMAR SARANIA:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE & INDUSTRY ( वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्री ) be pleased to state:

- (a) the names of the countries where Assam tea has been exported during the last five   years;
- (b) the reasons for not getting fair price for Assam tea;
- (c) whether it is a fact that the activities of many tea plantations have stopped due to non-receipt of fair price and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  many  small  tea  factories  are  being  set  up  in  Assam,  especially  in  the  Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) area, due to which the quality of tea is deteriorating;
- (e) whether any steps are being taken by the Government in this regard; and
- (f) if so, the number and names of such small tea factories in BTC as on date?

## ANSWER

okf.kT; ,oa m|ksx ea=ky; esa jkT; ea=h ¼Jherh vuqfiz;k iVsy½

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)

(a) Tea  Board  collects  exports  data  from  the  registered  exporters  as  per  the  Tea  (Distribution  & Export) Control Order, 2005. Tea export data based on port of shipment is captured and country-wise detail of tea exports from Inland Container Depot (ICD), Amingaon in Assam during the last 5 years is given in Annexure-I.

(b) The price of tea depends on demand and supply. The auction price of Assam tea has grown @ 6.4% CAGR over last 5 years. A comparison of average auction price of Assam tea vis-à-vis All India average price of tea during the last five years is given below:

| Years   |   Assam Auction Price (Rs./Kg) |   All India Auction Price (Rs./ Kg) |
|---------|--------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
| 2018-19 |                         158.87 |                              140.26 |
| 2019-20 |                         157.06 |                              137.65 |
| 2020-21 |                         226.85 |                              196.97 |
| 2021-22 |                         200.42 |                              171.21 |
| 2022-23 |                         217.14 |                              180.14 |

- (c) No report has been received by the Tea Board that activities of tea plantations have stopped due to non-receipt of fair price.

(d) to (f) During the last 3 years, 18 mini tea factories have been established in Assam, out of which 4 are in Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) area.  There are total 12 mini tea factories in BTC area. The names of mini tea factories in BTC area are given in Annexure - II. No reports regarding deterioration of quality due to setting of mini tea factories has been received. Some of the mini tea factories produce specialty teas of high quality.

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Annexure-I Country-Wise Detail Of Tea Exports From Inland Container Depot (ICD), Amingaon In Assam

| Countries      | 2018-19      | 2019-20      | 2020-21      | 2021-22      | 2022-23      |
|----------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|
| Countries      | Qty (Th. Kg) | Qty (Th. Kg) | Qty (Th. Kg) | Qty (Th. Kg) | Qty (Th. Kg) |
| AZERBAIJAN     | 43           | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0            |
| BELGIUM        | 11           | 0            | 0            | 0            | 12           |
| CANADA         | 229          | 91           | 0            | 0            | 47           |
| CHINA          | 265          | 356          | 70           | 0            | 0            |
| GERMANY        | 322          | 370          | 58           | 90           | 112          |
| HONGKONG       | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0            | 46           |
| INDONESIA      | 0            | 0            | 23           | 92           | 0            |
| IRELAND        | 900          | 949          | 901          | 1146         | 875          |
| JAPAN          | 215          | 424          | 60           | 66           | 0            |
| KENYA          | 0            | 24           | 24           | 0            | 0            |
| MALAYSIA       | 0            | 0            | 8            | 0            | 0            |
| NETHERLANDS    | 287          | 225          | 39           | 210          | 158          |
| NIGERIA        | 45           | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0            |
| PAKISTAN       | 542          | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0            |
| POLAND         | 402          | 516          | 855          | 650          | 569          |
| RUSSIAN FED    | 68           | 70           | 44           | 23           | 0            |
| SAUDI ARABIA   | 249          | 110          | 21           | 102          | 40           |
| SRI LANKA      | 328          | 23           | 0            | 68           | 9            |
| U.A.E          | 5211         | 2242         | 2212         | 1627         | 2280         |
| U.S.A          | 1027         | 695          | 105          | 215          | 437          |
| UNITED KINGDOM | 5426         | 4366         | 4290         | 4018         | 4690         |
| Grand Total    | 15570        | 10461        | 8710         | 8307         | 9275         |

## Mini Tea Factories in BTC area

|   S.N0. | Name of Mini Tea Factory                           |
|---------|----------------------------------------------------|
|       1 | Toppo Bibhuti Tea Growers Firm                     |
|       2 | Bidintha Basumatary                                |
|       3 | Baukhungri Organic Tea Industry                    |
|       4 | Rwdwmsha Tea Producer Company Ltd.                 |
|       5 | Swmkhwr Valley Tea Producer Compay Ltd             |
|       6 | Green Valley Stg                                   |
|       7 | Rwdwmkhang Tea Producer Company Ltd                |
|       8 | Swmkhwr Tea Factory                                |
|       9 | Gwrlwi Bilai Stg Society                           |
|      10 | Aronai Tea Factory                                 |
|      11 | Alice Orthodox Black And Green Tea Processing Unit |
|      12 | Organic Tea Industry                               |

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## Annexure II