After West Bengal, Assam Government decision allow tea gardens to use fallow and unutilized land for diversification into other projects which could help in improving their financial position.

Bengal had allowed tea gardens in 2019 to utilize 15 per cent of the total grant area subject to a maximum of 150 acres for tea tourism and allied business activities. On the contrary, Assam government is allowing only 5 per cent to tea gardens to diversify into other projects.

Rising cost of production and not getting remunerative prices for their teas at the auctions have been the primary problems of the industry for quite some time now.

Gardens can utilise five percent of the land for promotion of eco-friendly tea tourism; cultivation of agricultural crops which include cash crops, horticultural crops, floriculture, medicinal plants, agar wood, sandal wood and bamboo, animal husbandry and fisheries;
green power and non-conventional energy resources; social infrastructure and services which include wellness centres, schools, colleges, and food processing, blending and packaging units.

" We have been demanding that gardens be allowed to use the fallow land for other projects. We welcome this move by the state government. It will help in better economic viability of tea gardens.", said Bidyananda Barkakoty, Adviser, North Eastern Tea Association (NETA)

He said many gardens are interested for tea tourism projects. Some have started Agar plantation too.

In fact a luxury group of hotels Postcard is doing a tea tourism project in Durrung tea garden. The 2022 Assam tourism policy has given a lot of stress on tea tourism as 50 iconic gardens will be selected for development of tourism infrastructure on public private partnership mode.

"We will have to put our mind and energy to find out what cash crop suits us" he said.

In fact Amalgamated Plantations Private Limited had done work on black pepper and spices in its different gardens much before the new guidelines were released recently. They had done work on fish too.

ALSO READ: GUWAHATI NOW HAS THE BEST OF BOTH TEA AND COFFEE UNDER ONE ROOF