Assam to adopt Kenyan model of regulating tea processing units to ensure quality

The Economic Times of India, 02 June, Bikash, Singh, ET Bureau

GUWAHATI: India's largest tea producer, Assam, will adopt Kenyan model of regulating tea processing units to ensure quality. The state government will regulate the opening of bought leaf factories (BLF) in the state.

The government has put on hold issue of fresh registration of BLFs for the last three years in view of the mushrooming of BLFs. The state government in consultation with Tea Board and tea planters' bodies has come up with a new set of guidelines for opening BLFs and stand alone factories. Hundreds of applications are pending for BLFs.

According to guidelines, the availability of green leaf per BLF should be around 25 lakh kg annually. The government is now armed with production database of green leaf in each tea producing districts.