By Pinaki Das

Agartala, July 11 (ANI): With its favourable agro climatic conditions, Tripura is fast emerging as a major tea exporting state in the region. The industry has evolved into a major business in the northeast.

The tea gardens here like the Manu Valley Tea Estate are in the process of modernizing production and are using the latest automatic machinery.

The tea estate has also imported Japanese machinery for plucking of tealeaves and is one of the biggest factories for tealeaf drier in Asia.

Last year, the 90-year-old tea industry in the state created history by exporting the beverage.

Despite the global economic meltdown, the tea industry in Tripura is reaping good profits in which 1 lakh Kg of tea named ‘Jewel Tips’ were exported to Iran, United Kingdom and Uzbekistan.

This generated revenue for the state and benefited the workers tremendously.

“Last year, we exported to UK, Iran, and Uzbekistan. In TATA also we have supplied more than 100,000 kilogram of tea. Now, the second phase has just started and the market is very good this year. Talk is going on with the TATA tea,” said J. C. DAS, General Manager with Tripura Group of Gardens.

“Earlier, we use the hand plucking method but now we are using machines. This has benefited us a lot as the work is completed faster and we get more money as well. We are very happy,” said Sudangshu, a Tea worker in Tripura

There are over 57 tea gardens in the Tripura, with about 6,000 hectares under plantation. Currently, the state produces about 7.5 million kilograms of tea in a year.

To give a boost to the tea industry, the Tripura Government, in collaboration with the Tea Board, is providing better irrigation facilities. Initiatives have also been taken to produce “Bio-tea”, which is free from any chemical residue.

Tea plantations have now become one of the promising industries in Tripura and are likely to witness more success in the coming years. (ANI)