PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF THE SMALL TEA GROWERS IN JORHAT DISTRICT-A CASE STUDY

Abstract

The small tea growers are a crucial and essential component of Assam's tea economy. Some of the factors that encouraged small and marginal farmers as well as the unemployed to start a tea plantation in Assam included the prevalence of lot of high land with good drainage, the availability of proven agro-technologically skilled labor, existence of the established and assured green leaf market, the advantages of a perennial plantation crop in comparison to the other seasonal, annual or biennial agricultural crops, the blessings of favorable climatic and soil conditions. This industry had extraordinary growth because it quickly took on the characteristics of a socio-economic revolution and served as a catalyst for social change in the state.

It resulted in the construction of numerous tea factories in the small-scale industrial sector, creating job possibilities on the region's tea estates. The Jorhat district’s small tea growing industry has enormous potential in terms of creating jobs, making money, and raising social standing. It can be a rewarding career and be extremely important in enhancing the socioeconomic standing of the economically underdeveloped region. The study's findings show that small tea growers encounter a variety of issues with regard to receiving support from organizations, having access to financing, maintaining production, processing and marketing tea leaves, etc. Therefore, the topic titled as the Problems and Prospects of the small tea growers in Jorhat district has taken up for the study and further investigation.