By Roopak Goswami
The Assam Tea Planters’ Association (ATPA)—founded in 1935 and the oldest body of indigenous planters in Assam—has issued a sharp warning that the tea industry is at a breaking point.
ATPA Chairman Samudra P. Baruva stressed that survival now depends on a decisive pivot to quality, defined not just by flavor but by compliance with FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) standards. He noted that a significant portion of teas listed at the Guwahati and Siliguri auctions this year failed compliance checks, driving major packers toward South Indian teas and even cheaper imports from Africa. “Major buyers are losing interest in Assam and West Bengal teas—an alarming trend,” Baruva said.
“The time has come to make a decisive shift toward quality,” ATPA Chairman Samudra P. Baruva said in a strongly worded statement. “Quality doesn’t just mean taste—it means compliance with FSSAI standards, which is crucial for restoring credibility in the market.”
Founded in 1935 by indigenous planters, ATPA said the current crisis stems from rampant overcropping, which has flooded markets with low-grade teas, dragging down prices to unsustainable levels. According to FAITTA (Federation of All India Tea Traders’ Associations), many teas listed at the Guwahati and Siliguri auctions this year failed to comply with food safety standards, pushing major buyers toward South Indian and even African imports. “Major packeteers are losing interest in Assam and West Bengal teas—an alarming trend,” Baruva warned.
To restore buyer confidence, ATPA is calling for a holistic shift in industry practices. It argues that green leaf should be priced at a minimum of ₹25 per kilo with quality benchmarks to discourage substandard plucking, and that the Tea Board must strictly enforce standards in frontier regions such as Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Bihar. The association further emphasizes that small tea growers need targeted support, including subsidies for better plucking technology, while India’s exporters must be incentivized to compete with cheaper origins like Kenya and Sri Lanka.
Equally, ATPA is pushing for tighter checks on imported teas to prevent them from undermining local markets, alongside a unified branding effort to educate consumers about the superior quality of Indian teas.
The planters’ body has defended industry measures such as 100% dust auctions and early factory closures. Baruva said these were “self-regulation mechanisms” designed to weed out poor-quality teas and restore long-term market credibility.
With millions of livelihoods across Assam and West Bengal tied to tea, ATPA stressed the urgency of collective action. “This is not just about economics—it’s about preserving the identity and heritage of Assam,” Baruva said. “The time to act is now.”
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