Jorhat: Former president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam on Tuesday stressed the need to redefine the country’s tea industry and revisit its dimensions to compete in the present international market.
Inaugurating the three-day World Tea Science Congress at the Tocklai Experimental Centre here, Dr Kalam said, ”There is a need for redefining the tea industry in India. The dimensions of the industry has to be broadened.
”We don’t know how to market tea and its spin off products,” he added.
Dr Kalam said marketing can start from the level of how to brew and prepare tea to more diversified products. ”Tea is the cheapest and hygienic drink. The Tea Board must lay more emphasis in marketing it,” he opined.
Stressing on more research, Dr Kalam said, ”The Tocklai Experimental Centre should be renamed as the Tocklai Research Centre so that the emphasis is on research.”
The World Tea Science Congress is being organised as part of the concluding ceremony of the centenary celebration of the Tocklai Experimental Centre.
The former president also stressed on the need for better training of the tea garden workers for better yield and plantation practices.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, who was also present at the inaugural session, put emphasis on research to ensure quality.
”We must concentrate on quality rather than only on yield,” he added.
Gogoi rued that the tea industry had failed to put enough emphasis on research. He promised more monetary support from the government for research in the tea sector.
The chief minister also laid stress on marketing and innovation to ensure more popularity of Indian tea in overseas market.
Tea Research Association chairman DP Maheswari, Tea Board of India chairman MGVK Bhanu and Tocklai Experimental Centre director Dr M Hazarika, among others, were present at the inaugural session.
More than 500 delegates are participating in the three-day Congress. (UNI)
