Tea Development Programme in the Hilly Districts of Uttarakhand - Uttarakhand Tea Development Board

Due to large-scale migration of local people in the mountainous areas of Uttarakhand, most of the farmers’ land remains unused or barren, which can be put to good use through tea development programmes.

The Tea Development Scheme, run by the Board, is an employment-oriented initiative under which the Board provides year-round employment to tea garden cultivators and workers for seven years after the plantation is established. Once the plantations produce sufficient quantities of green leaves, farmers can earn a livelihood by selling them.

At present, in the hilly areas, fruits, vegetables, and crops are being damaged by domestic and wild animals, whereas tea plants are not harmed by such animals.

Due to the lack of adequate irrigation facilities in the hilly areas, traditional farming is adversely affected, whereas tea gardens require irrigation only at the initial stage, and adverse weather does not have any significant impact on the tea gardens.

Once planted, tea plants can produce for up to 100 years under proper care. Hailstorms only negatively affect tea production for about a week.

There is a risk of landslides due to indiscriminate cutting of forests, disasters, and heavy rainfall, whereas areas with tea plantations are not prone to landslides; thus, tea gardens help prevent soil erosion and landslides.

Tea plantation is an environmentally friendly and completely pollution-free industry.

In tea gardens, local people, especially rural women, get employment in their own area.

The tea industry can become a strong pillar for the economic foundation of local farmers.

Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world, ensuring consistent demand, which makes its marketing relatively easy.

On average, 15,000 tea plants are planted per hectare, which also helps prevent soil erosion.

Currently, the Board has developed tea gardens by leasing land from 4,011 farmers over an area of 1,370 hectares in 30 development blocks across 9 districts.

At present, 3,100 workers are employed under the Board every month, of which 2,279 are women.

The applicant must be a resident of Uttarakhand.

The applicant must have his own measured land available.

Within the identified area, at least 60 hectares of land should be available for tea plantation within a radius of 20 km.

There should be adequate availability of water around the identified land for setting up tea plant nursery at the initial stage.

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Presently, under the MNREGA scheme, the Board is identifying development blocks where approximately 60 to 100 hectares of land are available for tea plantations, as per the demand of the farmers.

After a cultivator submits an application for tea plantation to the Director, Uttarakhand Tea Development Board, Almora, mentioning the availability of his measured land, the Board conducts a soil test of the cultivator’s land. If the soil test determines that the land is suitable for tea plantation, a work plan is prepared by incorporating all the applications received from the development block and is then sent to the district administration/government for approval. After receiving approval from the district administration/government, tea plantation work is initiated in the area.

The soil pH level of the available land should range between 4.5 and 6.0, which is tested by the Board in its soil laboratory.

Tea plantation is carried out by the Board only on the farmer’s measured land.

Apart from the land already used by the farmer for cultivation, tea plantations can also be established on barren and unused land.

Documents are required in accordance with the Uttarakhand Tea Development Board guidelines to avail of the benefits.