Context: Recently, the Indian Tea Association (ITA) has proposed a quality grading system for tea to enhance competitiveness and consumer trust.This proposal aims to address challenges in the tea industry, including high production costs and compliance with pesticide residue limits.

• The system would assign grading marks ranging from one leaf to five leaves on tea retail packets, providing a standard measure of quality.

Introduction of Quality Grading System

• The Indian Tea Association (ITA) has proposed the introduction of a statutory scientific quality grading system to improve market competitiveness and consumer trust in the Indian tea industry.

• This opens up the scope for a quality benchmarking code and redefining quality standards. Conclusive research can provide consumers the knowledge to differentiate between various kinds of teas. 

• In terms of their qualitative and health related advantages as well as enable intervention by introduction of a statutory scientific quality grading system with one leaf to five leaves mark.

Emphasis on Quality and Compliance

• The ITA has highlighted the importance of ensuring safe tea consumption through rigorous adherence to maximum residue limits (MRL) for pesticides.

• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has set specific MRLs for pesticides in tea, and the industry is committed to meeting these safety standards.

• These efforts are intended to enhance the brand equity of Indian teas and ensure the safety of the product for consumers.

Historical

• The tea industry in India is about 170 years old. It occupies an important place and plays a very useful part in the national economy.

• Robert Bruce in 1823 discovered tea plants Camellia sinensis saplings from China planting the saplings first in the northern Indian town of Saharanpur, near Kumaon (where much of our single-origin tea flourishes) and growing wild in upper Brahmaputra Valley.

• In 1838 the first Indian tea from Assam was sent to United Kingdom for public sale. Thereafter, it was extended to other parts of the country between 50’s and 60’s of the last century.

• China was the world’s first producer of tea, and much of the equipment used to craft tea worldwide was adapted from ancient Chinese methods.

• East India Company established tea plantations in Assam as a result of British colonial India’s need to buy tea from China, which put a serious financial strain on the country’s finances.

• India began exporting tea to the rest of the world as tea output rose. The economy of the country benefited from this.

• India was one of the world’s top producers of tea by the 1850s. Local tea brands were made available to the general public as a beverage following independence.

• After the Charter Act of 1833, the East India Company lost its trade monopoly with China. The Tea Committee was established in 1834, under William Bentinck, the then Governor-General of India.

• An interesting fact about Tea gardens in Assam is that they do not follow Indian Standard Time (IST). The local time in Assam’s tea gardens, known as “Tea Garden Time” or Bagantime, is an hour ahead of the IST. The system was introduced during British days because of the early sunrise in this part of the country.

Production

• As of a survey 2018 total of 6.37 lakh hectare of area was cultivated for tea production in Idia.

• India is the second-largest producer of tea globally.

• The northern part of India is the biggest producer at about 83% of the country’s annual tea production in 2021-22 with the majority of the production coming from Assam followed by West Bengal.

• The Assam valley and Cachar are the two tea producing regions in Assam.

• In West Bengal, Dooars, Terai and Darjeeling are the three major tea producer regions.

• The southern part of India produces about 17% of the country’s total production with the major producing states being Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka.

• The other areas where tea is grown to a small extent are Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Sikkim, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Bihar and Orissa.

• Kangra Valley is famous for its green teas which is the specialty of the region.

• India’s total tea production for the financial year 2022-23, it was 1,373.37 million kg.

• The tea industry in India includes small and big growers and government plantations.

• Small tea growers in India are economically and socially susceptible as they are mostly marginal farmers.

• Many of the small farmers do not have rights over the land they cultivate. For the last two decades, Indian tea industry has witnessed many structural changes.

Challenges Faced by the Tea Industry

• The tea industry is grappling with several challenges, including rising production costs, unremunerative prices, and adverse weather conditions in Assam and Bengal.

• These issues are further intensifying the difficulties faced by the industry.

• Quality Concerns: The industry struggles with inconsistent tea quality, affecting its market competitiveness and consumer trust.

• Cost Pressures: Rising production costs and unsustainable increases, coupled with low prices for tea, are leading to financial strain for producers.

• Adverse Weather Conditions: Unpredictable weather, particularly in Assam and West Bengal, significantly impacts tea production.

• Pesticide Residue Compliance: Ensuring strict adherence to pesticide residue limits set by FSSAI and global standards remains a challenge for maintaining tea safety and consumer confidence.

• Lack of Modernization: Limited investment in technology and innovation hampers the industry’s growth and efficiency.

Road Ahead

• Quality Grading System: Introduction of a statutory scientific grading system, from one leaf to five leaf marks, on tea packets to improve product transparency and consumer trust.

• We need to set up a committee consisting of Tea Board, TRA and outside professionals who can scientifically analyse every single blend which is available in the market and give it a rating

• Cost Rationalisation: Focus on cost management strategies and explore ways to increase tea prices to make the industry financially viable.

• Climate Resilience: Invest in climate-resilient farming techniques and diversification to counter the impacts of unpredictable weather patterns.

• Compliance with Regulations: Strengthen compliance with maximum residue limits (MRLs) for pesticides through better monitoring and certification processes.

• Technological Advancements: Promote innovation, modernization, and improved manufacturing techniques to enhance efficiency and maintain global competitiveness.