Organised tea sector share declining: Tea Board paper

The share of the organised sector in Indian tea industry has declined from 94 per cent in the 90s to 66 per cent at present, a paper prepared by the Tea Board said.
The paper said that the prime causes for the decline were poor yield, ageing bush profile, decline in quality, lack of developmental activity and poor management practices among others.
As the Indian tea industry was providing direct employment to 10 lakh and thrice the number indirectly, Tea Board had decided to carry out a study covering parameters like cost of production and profitability and economic viability by a professional agency.

The study also covered issues like statutory compliance by the companies in respect of PF, gratuity, wages and bonus, causes of migration of tea workers to other non-tea sectors and the like.
Tea Board said that the paper would help in formulating future policies to ensure sustainability of the industry in the days to come.