Farmers rue over lack of tea policy, law

By Our Correspondent,Damak, July 6: Stakeholders have complained that a separate tea policy and law have not been formulated for the development of the tea sector, which is the main cash crop and major export item of Koshi Province. 

They made the complaint that despite repeated demands to form a tea board, it has not been implemented.

Although tea cultivation has been making a major contribution to the agricultural economy of Koshi Province, farmers have been saying that they have not been able to get a fair price. 

More than 50,000 tonnes of green tea leaves have been produced from Koshi Province annually. They argued that the tea sector, which is a source of export to countries, including India, Europe, America, Germany, Japan, has been neglected.

Tea is being produced commercially in the districts, including Jhapa, Ilam, Panchthar, Dhankuta and other districts of the province. More than 70,000 farmers in Koshi Province are directly or indirectly involved in tea farming. 

Similarly, the tea worth billions of rupees is exported annually. According to Aditya Parajuli, President of the Nepal Tea Producers Association, there is a situation where everyone from workers to producers should be disappointed due to lack of effective policy for the promotion of tea.

He said that a tea-friendly Act and law are necessary to resolve the problems of quality certification, packaging, branding, and workers in tea exports.

Speaking at a programme organised by the National Tea and Coffee Development Board, Regional Office, Birtamod, Minister for Water, Irrigation and Energy of Koshi Province Ekraj Karki said that the Koshi Province government is conducting necessary consultations to resolve the problems in the tea sector.

"We are aware that this sector is in problem due to the absence of a tea board and tea-friendly policy and law," he said. 

He said that a tea policy will be formulated and a board will be formed after an in-depth discussion on this issue in the winter session of the Provincial Assembly. "We should move forward by forming a common opinion to resolve the problem," he said.

Gopal Tamang, Chief Whip of Nepali Congress, Koshi Province Assembly, said that the Koshi Province government should pay attention to this as it can be done by forming a tea development board to resolve the problems of the tea sector. 

He said that the government structures related to tea should be under the provincial government and not the federal government. He demanded that the National Tea and Coffee Development Board be brought under the provincial government. 

Although the Koshi Province government has been saying that it will hold an international tea conference, it has not happened yet. 

Chief Minister of Koshi Province government Hikmat Kumar Karki has been saying in various programmes that the international tea conference will be held in Ilam. There have been frequent strikes and shutdowns due to the problems of workers in the tea industry.