Tripura to promote Tea industry through 'Run For Tea' initiative; details here

In an attempt to promote Tripura's tea industry, a nation-wide colourful "Run For Tea" has been organsied on Wednesday. It aims to boost tea awareness among the masses. 

Being the second-largest tea producing state in the northeast of India, Tripura is categorizing "Run For India" across the state of India. It is adopted by the Tea Board of India in collaboration with the state's tea development authorities. Earlier, such an initiative has been held at Silchar located in Southern Assam and in the Nilgiris in Western Tamil Nadu. 

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The chairperson of Tripura Tea Development (TTDC) Santosh Saha said, "An international buyers sellers meet has been planned at Hapania international fairground by end of February to promote tea as well. While the tea industry in Tripura is over 104 years old, it mainly produces CTC (Crush, Tear, and Curl) variety of tea."

"Tripura in recent years has created a niche for its own products with stress on organic tea, green tea, white tea and other brands of exotic teas," Saha added.

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As per news agency IANS, Tripura Law and Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath flagged-off the mega "Run For Tea" march. The march saw the presence of Arun Kumar Roy, Deputy Chairman of the Tea Board of India; Dipa Karmakar, Padma Shri, and ace gymnast; Bisweswar Nandy, Dronacharya awardee; Gitte Kirankumar Dinkarrao, Tripura Industries and Commerce and Tourism Departments Secretary and many others took part in the run. 

Now, Tripura is exporting tea abroad which is sold in the national as well as regional auction markets in the country. The tea sold in the auction markets earns a lot of profit as it is being sold at a higher rate. 

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The state is inhabited by 54 operational tea gardens, out of which 42 are individually owned, 3 run by the TTDc and 13 operated under cooperative societies. With the help of government support, around 3,000 small tea growers also run their tea gardens. 
With the production of 10 million kg of tea annually in an area of 6,885-hectares of land, Tripura is the second largest tea producing state in the northeast after Assam. Saha said that about 20,000 people are directly employed in the 54 big gardens in Tripura and more 15,000 people involved in 230 small gardens. It contributes immensely to the growth of the state's overall economy. 

(Image Credits: PTI) 

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