The North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) has requested the Tea Board to bring about an immediate change in the price sharing formula for green tea leaves and demanded that the onus of improving quality of green leaves should not be entirely on the factories, but be shared by green leaf growers and the Tea Board. The Tea Board, in its circular on August 6 had observed that some of the bought-leaf factories were sourcing green tea leaves from small tea growers and were resorting to practices which were violation of TMCO 2003. The board had accused the factories of fixing price of green leaves unilaterally and buying poor quality leaves. Bidyananda Barkakoty, chairman of NETA demanded that the price-sharing formula should be on an annual basis and not on the monthly basis envisaged in its present form. The change will make the price sharing more logical and fair to all concerned. The NETA pointed out that the monthly minimum benchmark price would go against the price-sharing formula as it would bring in the minimum price of made tea as well. It suggested that the minimum benchmark price be termed as adhoc price, and the final price could be computed at the end of the season. Barkakoty pointed out an ambiguity in the “District Average price of CTC Teas sold through auction”. In the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC), average price of estate factories (EFs) and bought-leaf factories (BLFs) are maintained separately, district wise and weekly sale wise. “We understand that BLFs and EFs will pay adhoc price for green leaves to green leaf growers on their respective district average auction price of BLFs,” the NETA chairman said, adding that buyers even after tasting pay less price to tea produced by BLFs compared to EFs. The NETA suggested that since auction is held every week, the Tea Board may upload weekly average price of tea of BLFs and EFs separately of GTAC for Assam. Barkakoty welcomed Tea Board’s definition of minimum quality standards of green leaves. “But it is not possible to achieve 65 per cent throughout the season,” he said, adding that the onus of improving quality of green leaves should not be entirely on the factories, but should be shared by green leaf growers and the Tea Board. The NETA chairman suggested that to improve quality of green leaves, all agents and suppliers of green leaves should be registered with the Tea Board, and should be imparted proper training. The quality parameters should also be applicable to EFs manufacturing tea from their own leaves.
Posted on: Thu, 05 Sep 2013 17:47:16 +0000
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