Tea Production

The productivity of tea plantations in Assam has been on increase on year to year basis for the period from 2011-12 to 2013-14, as can be seen from the table given below. However, during the current year, the productivity in Assam for the period from April – September, 2014, as given in the Table, is less in comparison to corresponding period of last year due to adverse weather conditions.

Year	Production (Million Kgs)	Productivity (made tea kg/ha)
2011-12	581.26	1910
2012-13	588.14	1932
2013-14	629.05	2067
2014-15 (Apr-Sep)	414.09	1360
2013-14 (Apr-Sep)	442.92	1455

The government implements a Scheme for Tea Development and Promotion with the objective of enhancing production and productivity of tea throughout the country including Assam.  Financial support is provided for replanting, replacement of planting and rejuvenation of old aged tea bushes. A quality upgradation programme is being implemented to upgrade old tea machinery and improve value-addition. Special attention is paid towards improving the productivity of small sector which accounts for nearly 33% of the total production in India. A separate Directorate with adequate technical manpower has been set up with its headquarter at Dibrugarh, Assam to address the developmental needs of the small growers. The Directorate would facilitate enumeration of small growers and help the growers to organize themselves into Producers’ Societies.  A total expenditure of Rs.246.98 crores during the Eleventh Five Year Plan period and Rs.106.50 crores during the first two years of the Twelfth Five Year Plan Period has been incurred to support various tea development and promotion activities in Assam.

The information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) in the Ministry of Commerce & Industry Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman in a written reply in Lok Sabha today(28.11.2014).

Courtesy: pib.nic.in