The future of Assam tea isdoomed as there is higher supply than the demand and as a result the price isgoing down knocking off the players and putting a big question markto its future.

McLeod Russel offloadingthe gardens and in the Northern Bank they have refused to buy from the smalltea growers, there has been strong panic amongst the tea community asthere will be over production from the month of June and there will be notakers which will severely affect the green tea leaves.

Assam Government had formedan expert committee in this regard. The members of the expert committee sit inthe first meeting on Monday.  

OUTCOME OF THE FIRST MEETING

To discuss on the various challenges faced by the state tea industry and Tocklai Tea Research Centre, a meeting was organised at the conference hall of Assam Agricultural University, Khanapara under the chairmanship of Dr Mridul Hazarika, vice chancellor of Gauhati University.

In the meeting, expert committeehas decided to first approach the Tocklai Tea Research Centre to get first handinformation on their problems.

It also decided to meetboth station and outstation officials of the industry and tea boards fromBengal, Tripura and Kolkata.

The committee will meet thesecretary of Industry and Commerce, Government of India and vice-chairman ofNITI Aayog to apprise them of the entire situation and the probable solution.

The meeting was attended byDr K M Bujarbaruah, vice chancellor, Assam Agriculture University, Jorhat andmember, Kailash Kartik, joint secretary, Finance Department & member,Umananda Doley, secretary, Industries and Commerce Department & member andby K K Nath, chief executive officer, SITA, Assam & member secretary.