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T
he future of the tea industry is on a strong footing,”
affirms Mr Khaitan. In India, consumption is rising by
2% annually; that is a total of ten to twenty million kg of tea.
“Expansion within the industry in Assam
will be with small growers."
Traditional Houses do not have fallow land to plant young tea and though
uprooting/replanting will allow for a certain increase in crop, the results in the long run may not be
productive.
“We have initiated these programmes from the very beginning and that is the reason we are ahead in the
industry,”
he states.
The Company takes into consideration quality, quantity and labour wages/cost of rations and this strategy
has been effective since 1968.Traditionally, leaf which is hand plucked is considered superior to that collected
by mechanical plucking; however, the latter may become the norm in the future. In Africa, mechanical
plucking has proved to be a success and in time Assam too will raise the benchmark for quality leaf plucked
by mechanical harvesters.
“There is a wave of prosperity sweeping across Assam,”
says Mr Khaitan.The middle class has raised the standard
of living, investing in homes, cars and businesses. Connectivity is as good as the rest of the country with
television, mobile networks and daily flights operating from different cities in the state. The ‘hopper flights’,
which made travel between the smaller towns so convenient, are being revived;
“As prosperity in the Northeast
is improving, it will draw more airlines toAssam,”
believes Mr Khaitan.There is proficient medical care available
for the public and excellent educational institutions; with more newspapers and improved online facilities,
the residents of Assam are fully integrated with the outside world.
“Tea is still considered a very special, homely offering socially,”
concludes Mr Khaitan.
“When you offer a cup of tea,
you do so with your heart. It is personal, unlike a beverage bought from a shop.”
For the Patriarch, ‘Believe in tea’ is an article of faith.
~
Vidya Kaul
Tea is not a mere commodity for us. It is heritage based on values
and culture full of sentiments and commitments.
“
”
B.M. Khaitan
“