Tea in Assam

The Tea industry in Assam is about 170 years old. It occupies an important place and plays a very special role in the State economy in particular and in the national economy in general. The wild tea plants were discovered in upper Brahmaputra valley by Robert Bruce in 1823 and the first Indian tea was sent to United Kingdom for public sale in the year 1838. Thereafter tea cultivation was extended to other parts of the country between 50’s and 60’s of the last century. As of today, Assam Tea has maintained its international reputation and commands significant share in the world Tea Market. The tea industry in Assam also provides average daily employment to more than six lakh persons in the State which is around 50 percent of the total average daily number of labour employed in the country.

The total area under tea cultivation in Assam is accounting for more than half of the country’s total area under tea. In addition to existing big & large tea gardens owned by reputed both Indian and multi national Companies, the profession of tea plantation in the State has taken up by common man as business venture at present, especially by unemployed youths. According to the Tea Board of India, “there are more than 43000 small tea growers in Assam producing about nine percent of the State’s total annual production.” [State focus paper, Assam-2009-l0 by NABARD]. As per Tea Board of India information there are 52000 small tea growers in Assam at the end of March 2009 out of which 3767 were registered with the Tea Board of India. The small tea growers cover around 65000 hectares of land and they produce more than 100 million tonne of tea leaf annually [According to the All Assam Small Tea Growers Association, there are 65466 small tea growers in Assam as on March 2008 and covers 103298 hectares of land. These small tea growers produced 14185 lakh kgs. green tea during the year 2007-08]. Most of the small tea gardens in the State are confined to upper Assam. Dibrugarh accounts for 30 percent of the total tea gardens followed by Tinsukia 22 percent, Jorhat 13 percent, Golaghat 12 percent, Sivasagar 11 percent and other districts contain 11 percent.

Assam alone produces more than half of India’s tea production. The estimated production of tea in Assam was 511.9 thousand tonnes in 2007 which constitutes more than 50 per cent of the total tea production of the country. During the year 2006, the quantity of production of tea in Assam was 502.0 thousand tonnes.
 

Tea Statistics of Assam and India:

Source: Economic Survey Assam 2009-10

District wise Area Under Tea in Assam:

(Figures in hectares)

Source: Tea Board, Guwahati

District-wise Production of Tea:

(In Thousand Kgs.)

@- Break-up not Available

Source: Tea Board, Guwahati

Month-wise Production of Tea in Assam, (2007-2008 and 2008-2009):

(Tonne)

Source : Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Govt. of Assam.

District-wise Average Yield Rate of Tea:

(Figures in Kg/Hectares)

Source: Tea Board, Guwahati

Small Tea Growers of Assam registered with Tea Board of India upto 31^st March 2008:

Source: Statistical Handbook Assam 2009

Quantity and Average price of Tea Sold in the Guwahati Tea Centre:

Source: Economic Survey Assam 2009-10

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