Plan for better tea factory and tea quality

Tea Research Association (TRA), an ancillary body of Tea Board of India, has chalked out plans to further develop its Nagracata substation, which will extend better services to stakeholders in the region.

“At a recent meeting of the TRA, it has been decided to build a model tea manufacturing unit at Nagracata, obviously of low output, like the one we have at our headquarters in Assam,” said Pradip Ghosh, the chief advisory officer of TRA, Nagracata, today. “The proposal has been sent to the department of industries and commerce for approval under the 11th Five Year Plan.”

According to Ghosh, both researchers and planters will benefit from the model factory. “Researchers can work on different segments associated with tea manufacturing, which was not possible so far, since the sub-station did not have a factory,” the chief advisory officer said. “Planters can identify problems usually faced during manufacture, which researchers can try to solve.”

In a bid to better the quality aspect, which of late, has become the prime concern of manufacturers in north Bengal, the TRA plans to work jointly with the Darjeeling Tea Research Centre — also operated by the tea board — on a number of research projects.

At present, the TRA has four laboratories at Nagracata here and seven scientists are posted there.

The TRA has also set up a 300-seat auditorium-cum-training centre, where training programmes will be held.

The decisions have been appreciated by the industry. “The sub-station upgrade has been a longstanding demand. It’s good that it has finally been taken up,” said Bijoygopal Chakrobarty, convener, United Forum of Small Tea Growers’ Association.

Source: The Telegraph