Small tea growers in Bengal seek inclusion in state farmers’ registry, cites Assam model

Small tea growers in West Bengal has urged the state government to include tea and plantation land holdings in its Farmers’ Registry Portal, taking a leaf out of Assam’s playbook.

The Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers’ Association (CISTA) has drawn inspiration from the Assam government’s recent decision to include tea and plantation land holdings in its registry, urging the Suvendu Adhikari government to adopt a similar policy.

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In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, CISTA president Bijoy Gopal Chakraborty appealed for the inclusion of small tea land holdings in the state’s farmers’ registry, arguing that such a move would enable nearly 50,000 small tea growers in West Bengal to access various Central government welfare schemes meant for farmers.

According to CISTA, small tea growers, each cultivating an average of less than one hectare, currently contribute nearly 70 per cent of West Bengal’s CTC tea production. The association said these growers are spread across Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Uttar Dinajpur and Cooch Behar districts.

The association pointed out that the Assam government’s recent initiative has been a “game changer” for small tea growers in the neighbouring state by allowing them to obtain farmer IDs and avail themselves of benefits under schemes such as the Kisan Credit Card (KCC), PM-KISAN, PMKSY, PMFBY, the National Mission on Natural Farming and other government programmes.

CISTA president said that extending similar recognition to small tea growers in West Bengal would ensure easier access to subsidies, institutional credit, crop support, insurance and other financial assistance, thereby promoting sustainable tea cultivation.

The association further stated that small tea growers are essentially farmers from rural areas who have played a significant role in bringing socio-economic transformation to North Bengal. It claimed that more than 15 lakh people are directly or indirectly dependent on the small tea sector for their livelihood.

Highlighting the benefits of Assam’s decision, the association noted that inclusion of tea land in the farmers’ registry enables timely and need-based supply of fertilisers, improves access to government schemes and institutional credit, and reduces the role of middlemen, thereby protecting growers from exploitation.

CISTA has urged the West Bengal government to consider adopting a similar policy at the earliest to ensure that small tea growers in the state receive equal opportunities and government support.