Tea growing in Assam, for the last 150 years, has remained confined to the Upper Assam districts. The green-gold industry is now finding new territory in Lower Assam as well.
Small tea growers in Kokrajhar district in Lower Assam, during the last couple of years, had started tea plantation. But, they have been facing problem because there were no tea factories in the area where they could produce tea from the green leaves.
The wait is now over. A new tea factory – the Birhang Tea Industry was recently inaugurated at Choraikhola near Kokrajhar. Rabiram Narzary, the MLA of West Kokrajhar inaugurated the factory, and said it is the beginning of a new era of tea history of Assam.
Narzary claimed the setting up of the tea factory will not only encourage the local small tea growers, but will also generate jobs for the unemployed youths of the locality. “I hope it is the beginning of an industrial revolution in Bodoland region,” he said.
The legislator from Kokrajhar said no area can develop if there is no industry. “Since Assam and especially the Bodoland area is industrially backward, I am optimistic that the setting up of the tea industry will be the beginning of a new era of development,” he said.
Narzary urged the small tea growers to follow the best practices of tea plantation to ensure that Bodoland can emerge as the home to high-quality tea in Assam. So far, Darjeeling hills and the upper Assam districts of Assam have been the major producers of tea in India.
The Kokrajhar MLA emphasized on the immediate need of establishing more industries in Bodoland areas to bring about rapid economic development. The owner of the Birhang Tea Industry, Monoranjan Brahma said the industry was set up to cater to the need of small tea growers.
Brahma said the small tea growers so far, were not getting good rates for the green tea leaves which they have been producing. “I am confident that the scenario is going to change now,” he said.