Exploring the Challenges and Marketing Ecosystem of Small Tea Growers in Assam, India

Tea production in India has witnessed significant growth since its origins during the colonial era. In Assam, the tea industry has undergone a notable transformation, particularly with the emergence and increasing prominence of small tea growers. Over the years, these growers have come to play a vital role in the sector. At present, small tea farmers are active across 27 districts in Assam, with the highest concentrations found in five key districts: Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Jorhat, Sivasagar, and Golaghat. The current study aims at identifying the existing marketing channels and identify the challenges faced by the small tea growers in the production and marketing of tea leaves.The present study was conducted in Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts of Assam, serving as the primary areas of investigation. A multistage random sampling technique was employed to ensure a representative selection of respondents. Both primary and secondary data sources were utilized for the analysis. Primary data was gathered from the respondents using a structured schedule. A total of 197 small tea growers were randomly selected from the two districts forming the final sampling unit for the study. Two distinct marketing channels were discovered in the distribution of tea leaves in the surveyed area. The small tea growers use both the channels for marketing the green tea leaves, but Channel II served as the common marketing channel used by majority of the small- tea growers. It was observed that Channel-I was efficient, it was seen that the small- growers preferred to dispose the leaf produce through Channel-II. There were several inherent obstacles such as price volatilities, erratic weather, forced sale, exploitation by middlemen etc. in the growth and development of small tea farms in both production and marketing aspects. The study clearly highlights that environmental and economic factor such as weather and market price fluctuations pose the biggest threats to agricultural productivity. The issues in the marketing of green tea leaves highlight the volatility and inefficiencies in the marketing channels available to small tea growers.