Guwahati: Assam’s small tea growers are suffering from price crash and surge in import.
The tea growers who account for over half of the state’s total output are facing a livelihood crisis.
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Green leaf prices in Upper Assam have plunged to just Rs 11 from Rs 14 per kg.
The Assam Small Tea Growers’ Association (ASTGA) accuses the Tea Board of India of inaction.
Political attention has shifted to rising Kenyan tea imports.
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Growers say they are worsening the slump.
“Bought lead factories are offering only Rs 11 per kilo in places like Tinsukia. This is exploitation,” said ASTGA president Rajen Bora.
He alleged that district price-monitoring committees have failed to act.
More than two lakh growers are directly affected.
The issue has spilled into a larger trade debate.
BJP MLA Mrinal Saikia recently warned that unchecked imports up 45% from Kenya this year could push Assam’s tea industry “towards collapse.”
Reports suggest over 300 companies import low cost tea from Kenya.
They blend it with Assam tea, a practice growers argue dilutes the brand and depresses demand.
Imports from Sri Lanka and Nepal are also being flagged for lax quality checks.
At current prices, growers say they cannot cover even plucking and transport costs.
The ASTGA has renewed its demand for a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for green leaf and warned of large scale protests if the government fails to intervene.
Policy measures under discussion include setting a floor price for green leaf, stricter quality checks on imports, more frequent and transparent price-monitoring meetings and seasonal limits on imports during Assam’s peak flush.
While the Tea Board and blenders have not yet detailed their positions, industry players generally argue that imports and blending are legal and help keep tea affordable for consumers.
Growers, maintain that weak regulation has created a “race to the bottom” that threatens nearly a million livelihoods across Assam’s tea belt.
Assam is the world’s single largest tea-growing region, producing nearly 700 million kg annually.
It’s almost half of India’s total output and supplying both domestic markets and global buyers from London to Dubai.
Its strong, malty teas are considered the backbone of India’s exports.
If prices remain depressed, growers warn they may cut plucking rounds or abandon fields leading to falling quality, job losses, and unrest.
Conversely, stronger guardrails on prices and imports could stabilize the sector before the festive season.
For now, the message from Assam’s tea fields is clear: without urgent intervention, the crisis could not only upend livelihoods but also reshape the global image of Assam tea.