Tea processing factory opened in Meghalaya

Shillong, Sep 6 (UNI) The West Garo Hills Tea Farmers Federation (WGHTFF) has set up a tea processing factory in the state which was recently inaugurated by State Planning Board Chairman P A Sangma.

With this, the teagrowers would be able to sell their outputs in the price range of Rs 10 to Rs 10.50 per kg and the federation would market the finished product under the brand name 'Durama Tea', sources said.

In a bid to ensure that the growers obtain better price for their produce, the federation earlier managed to raise the price from Rs 4.50 per kg to Rs 8.50 per kg, by collectively selling their leaves to the neighbouring tea estates in Assam.

Realising that this was not enough, the district authorities sanctioned the proposal to set up the factory and a sum of Rs 1.76 crore was released from the RSVY scheme through DRDA, in this regard, sources further informed.

There are approximately 1020 households involved in cultivating tea in the district, covering an area of 564 hectares.

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