Small tea cultivation in the process of selfemployment : a study on the indigenous people of Assam (India)

Abstract

The tea industry of India has had a long trip since the 18th century. In spite of having a strong base as manufactured product, it allows a bigger gain for the country as agricultural output. Among the tea producing states of India, Assam is well known internationally since a long time ago. The state dominates the country’s tea map by producing almost half (50 per cent) of the total tea production. In the recent years, Indian tea industry has witnessed many structural changes such as the replacement of small tea plantations by large plantation, the emergence of Bought Leaf Factories (BLFs), for example. Cultivation of tea on smallholding has gained considerable momentum amongst the youth. Being a labour intensive industry, it is the source of employment for the Assam’s indigenous people. It has the potentiality for making a positive economic impact ensuring new employment opportunities, proper utilisation of local resources and as a source of revenue. It is estimated that there are nearly 90,000 Small Tea Growers (STGs) in Assam creating employment for around 1.5 lakh people apart from producing innumerable rural entrepreneurs with the potentiality of transforming the socio economic condition of rural Assam. This paper highlights the prospects of small tea cultivation as a source of selfemployment in Assam.