Hope for Kangras cup of cheer

Once renowned as among the best in the world,the one and a half century old Kangra tea might be on its way to a comeback if the governments efforts bear fruit.

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Once renowned as among the best in the world,the one and a half century old Kangra tea might be on its way to a comeback if the governments efforts bear fruit.

There is new hope for the dying tea sector after the Centre evinced an interest in the revival of the industry. A high-powered committee of the National Tea Board,which recently travelled to the tea belt at the instance of Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma,has already held discussion with state government officials in the matter.

The Kangra tea industry has gone through a troubled phase. But things will change drastically once the government starts implementation of the package I have recently cleared. We are targeting bringing an additional 10,000 hectares of area under tea cultivation.The government will take the help of the scientists at Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Karishi Vishvavidyalaya Palampur to draw-up detailed expansion and rehabilitation plans for Kangra tea,said Anand Sharma,who was recently in the Himachal capital.

More than 1,200 hectares of tea plantations lie abandoned,reducing the total plantation to barely 1,000 hectres. With the quality of the produce unable to withstand the competition in the tea market,the production has also hit a low of eight lakh kg per annum.

Known for its floral aroma and distinct flavour - which had led the British to promote Kangra as the tea destination of India - the tea is grown on the picturesque slopes of Palampur,Baijnath,Bir and Dharamshala in Kangra district. Some area of Chamba and Mandi are also seen as suitable from tea cultivation in view of climatic conditions.

Responding to the Centres initiative,Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has put in place a draft proposal for the rejuvenation of Kangra tea industry. The Chief Minister has written a letter to the Union Minister Anand Sharma asking for a package to provide relief to small tea planters,attracting new investments in the sector and also reviving of the Kangra tea through a holistic approach. The target is to raise the tea production to 2.5 million kgs to make the sector viable, Secretary Agriculture Ramsubhag Singh said.

The plantation of the new varieties,bringing rootstock and preparing the abandoned plantations will itself require nearly Rs 360 crores with additional support of Rs 16.86 crores needed for creating irrigation facilities,besides another Rs 50 crores on rejuvenation and replantations. The draft proposal seeks a substantial subsidy component from the Centre for such interventions.

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An approach paper prepared by the Tea Board of India says that Kangra tea has an international demand and Palampur university had recently produced Dhauladhar Tea-a new brand of Kangra tea and has been trying to impart production and marketing skills.

Brij Bihari Butail,one of Palampurs leading tea estate owners,said, Its good that the Centre has started working on a stimulus package which is the need of the hour. However,it will all depend on the seriousness of the agencies and how they implement things on the ground. There have been efforts earlier too. However,inconsistency in the tea revival plans and lack of seriousness weakened the drive.

The Kangra Valley has been home to tea cultivation since the middle of the last century. Rated the finest in the world for its flavour and quality until 1905,it was the Kangra earthquake that year that proved catastrophic for the industry. It destroyed a large number of tea gardens,several tea factories and killed a number of tea planters.

However,things are beginning to look up for the beleagured industry with the tea even receiving recognition for a geographic indicator in 2006. The renewed interest on the part of the Centre may yet restore the sector its lost glory.