Nagaland has huge scope for tea cultivation

View of tea garden in Mon district. (Photo Courtesy: Konyak Tea Retreat)

Our Correspondent
Kohima | February 11

Nagaland has a huge scope for tea cultivation as it can be grown on different altitudes on commercial basis both in the hills and the foothills areas of the state.

The cultivation of tea in the state dates a long time back. However the practice of growing tea was limited to home gardens for domestic use only, but in the last couple of years, farmers have included tea as a major cash crop, according to Annual Administrative Report 2019-20 of agriculture department tabled in the state assembly session here.

The report stated that the state having high potential for tea production, now the cultivation is widespread in certain districts and number of tea growers is gradually increasing and more farmers are developing tea gardens.

Although the tea plantation in the state are small and scattered due to the fragmented nature of land holdings, the quality of tea produced in the state is of high quality which are mostly organic, and given the right impetus, tea plantation in the State could develop into a major economic sector, the report maintained.

Tea cultivation being a high investment activity, the farmers of the state faces an arduous challenge both physically and financially and the small and marginal farmer's limited land and resources cannot afford to take up this cultivation.

During 2019-20, under this RKVY sub-scheme for tea, 10 (ten) Nos of tea nurseries have been set up in the potential tea growing areas of the state. Each nursery accommodated around 1,50,000 Nos tea cuttings which will cover about 160 ha, the report added.