GUWAHATI: To stop the practice of making reprocessed tea and boost revenue generation, tea producers from Assam have requested the Tea Board of India (TBI) to issue guidelines for exporting tea waste.
A delegation led by North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) chairman Nepul Saikia raised this matter with deputy chairman of TBI, Arun Kumar Ray in Guwahati on Friday, August 2.
{{skXUtgTZ7LNnuzKGxsBb}}
Bidyananda Barkakoty, NETA adviser said that Assam produces approximately 10 million kg tea waste which generates Rs. 20 crore. If this is exported, the present earnings will double.
He further mentioned that presently, most of the tea waste is used in the caffeine industry and there is also a lot of scope to use tea waste in several other value-added products.
The delegation further stated that the export of tea waste can be a game changer as far as revenue is concerned.
A NETA memorandum submitted to TBI mentioned that “tea waste can be as low as below 1% and at times may go up to 3% and above- it all depends upon the fine percentage of green leaf and manufacturing process.
The memorandum also stated that the Madras High Court by its order of February 22, 2013 had fixed 0.20% as tea waste instead of 2%. Thus, NETA members request TBI to not force them to declare 2% as tea waste and it should be on the actual condition of waste.
Further, the delegation also asked TBI to amend the stipulated 2% of tea production as tea waste under the Tea Waste (Control) Order, 1959.
Barkakoty also added that another issue pointed out to TBI was in regard to the cumbersome process of renewal of license for tea waste every year. It has been requested that the license be mandated for every three years instead as it will aid in ease of doing business.
(Inputs Times of India)
