Tea leaves being wasted in absence of processing plant

By Hari Prasad Koirala,Urlabari, Jan.1 : In the absence of a plant to process green tea leaves, the green leaves of farmers in the area of Laligurans Municipality of Tehrathum are being wasted on the tree.

Singhadevi Tea Producers’ Cooperative Ltd., located in Sansare of Laligurans Municiplaity-9, has cultivated tea on 1,200 ropanies of land. The green leaves grown by 200 farmers, including 145 farmers affiliated with the cooperative, have been wasted due to the lack of a plant to process the tea leaves.

Since 2075 B.S., farmers who have been cultivating tea commercially have been operating a plant to process 250 kg of green leaves daily through the cooperative. However, the cooperative needs a plant to process 1,000 kg of green leaves daily. 

Chairman of the cooperative Tek Bahadur Magar said, “16,000 kg of tea (green tea, golden tea, silver tea, black tea) is produced by processing 80,000 kg of green leaves annually. There are 10 workers in the factory.”

Despite having abundant raw materials, the raw materials are being wasted due to the lack of a processing plant, he said. 

“All the tea produced is exported to India and third countries,” he said, adding that demand for tea, which is being sold at Rs. 300 to Rs. 3,500 per kg, is high. “However, we have not been able to process it according to the demand,” he said. 

Manager of the cooperative Bir Bahadur Basnet said that they have not used pesticides in the tea for 10 years. 

“As it is pure organic tea, there is no problem of market. There is pressure to purchase the tea produced in other municipalities as well. We have not been able to process the green leaves produced by our own members. How can we buy from neighbouring municipalities,” Basnet said.

Tea is being cultivated on around 150 ropanies of land in Chhathar Rural Municipality, on 75 ropanies of land in Jirikhimti and on 100 ropanies of land in Sakdina. The farmers there have not picked tea leaves for a few years.

Meanwhile, the Koshi Province government has allocated Rs. 2 million as a conditional grant to set up a new plant. 

Santosh Ghimire, Chief Administrative Officer of Laligurans Municipality, said, “The province has started the process of purchasing the plant through the municipality. “We have started the work in a fast-track manner to process the green leaves produced in March.” Ghimire said that if two plants are installed, the wasted green leaves can be processed.