Tea sector urged to focus on innovation

Future of the Indian tea sector will be defined not by the volume of tea produced, but how innovative the sector will be, said Ajoy Thipaiah, chairman of the United Planters Association of South India (UPASI) and Managing Trustee of the UPASI Tea Research Foundation (TRF), on Tuesday.

At the valedictory of the centenary conference of the UPASI TRF, he said the sessions held on Tuesday as part of the conference were on four major themes – science, technology, sustainability, and collaborations. No single institution or stakeholder can address the challenges in the tea sector alone in the future. There should be stronger partnerships among the industry, policy makers, researchers, growers, and technology producers. The next 100 years of tea will depend on the commitment of all the stakeholders, he added.

Amit Kumar, Joint Secretary of the Union Ministry of Commerce, released the UPASI TRF medical blends. Eight medicinal herbs were found suitable for growing and blending in south Indian tea growing regions by the University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology, Bengaluru and the UPASI TRF.

Nimal Udugampola, chairman of Asia Tea Alliance, said the future of Asian tea should focus on regenerative agriculture, lower emissions, scientific collaborations, and small holder-centered. “We should ask what is the real value we create with every kg of tea and how much of it reaches the grower,” he said.

According to Suneel S. Sikand, chairman of the Indian Tea Association, the north and south tea sectors are not two different industries. The two share the same challenges, market, pests, and crop. Regulatory framework should reflect field realities, he said.

Cherian M. George, chairman of the UPASI Tea Committee, summed up the day-long deliberations held through the four technical sessions. “We will take forward, capture these, create a task force and how we can implement (the suggestions),” he said.

Nishat S. Haque, Deputy Director General – Laboratories, Bureau of Indian Standards, also spoke.