To evaluate the ground-level progress of the Tea Board of India’s pioneering Technological Intervention Scheme implemented at the premises of 2 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) in The Nilgiris, and to interact directly with the project’s beneficiaries, a review meeting was held on Wednesday.
The meeting was held at Thummanatti Village in the Nilgiris District, under the guidance of Tea Board’s Deputy Chairman, Murugan IAS. Members of the Mupathu Mukkodi Devathi Devargal Small Tea Growers’ Association and the Hari Om Small Tea Growers’ Association attended the meeting.
The members shared their first-hand experiences and highlighted the practical difficulties encountered during the project’s rollout. Following the interactive session, the Deputy Chairman personally visited one of the newly established Automatic Tea Weather Stations located in a small grower’s field.
Addressing the gathered farmers, Murugan, IAS, emphasized that small tea growers should not restrict themselves to being mere suppliers of raw green leaves. He urged them to ascend the value chain by establishing Mini Tea Factories and producing their own processed tea. To support this vision, he assured the growers that the Tea Board of India would assist them with “Tea Mark” certification and provide direct market access through the Tea Board’s authorized online commercial platform, teamarketplace.in.
