Tea leaves fallen prices tough on tea growers

Over 8,000 small tea cultivators in north Dinajpur district of West Bengal face the risk of running an unviable business as prices of green leaf have fallen by Rs seven to Rs four a kilo.

"The small growers who used to supply their produce to the bought leaf factories got rupees 11 per kilo for their produce even a couple of months ago," Assistant Secretary of North Bengal Small Tea Planters Association Ratan Saha said.

"Now they are being offered four rupees per kilo which is even less then their production costs", he said.

"Many small growers who had invested their entire savings were left with no no option but to close the gardens," General secetary of Uttar Dinajpur Small Tea Growers' Welfare Association, Debasish Paul told newsmen here.

Source: Press Trust of India