Exploitation of Tea Plantations

My dear friends who show concern for Tea!
I have spent 40 years of my life as a child, adolescent and then working in Managerial capacities on the Tea Plantations. Tea is not just a beverage. it is a way of life.
Many Garden Owners have indeed used the estates as milking cows, have not Re-invested sufficiently to keep the plantations and its workers in good health and except for some genuine Planters / companies, most have literally raped the properties. Please excuse my language.
There are also estates with 10 different Labor unions. Estates where there is one Worker in a family living in a Company provided accommodation and having 10 Non Working "dependants" .The worker is usually a woman, and the rest simply eat up into the fragile infrastructure of the estates like parasites. Can you imagine 10 persons using a toilet which has been designed for a family of four? When the septic tank overflows, the Manager is supposed to get it cleaned, and if he delays, he may be hacked to death.
Same goes for stopping the stealing electricity - you stop them and you may be burnt to death. This has happened in Sapoi Tea Estate of Assam where two planters were burnt alive and reduced to footballs.
Then there are Managers who get Rehabilitation Grass cut for their cows by the estate workers and sell the milk for personal gain, and at the same time impound workers' cows if they graze in the plantation. The workers and nearby villagers then take onto grazing their cattle in hundreds in the middle of the night.
Cattle trespass leads to infestation of Red Spider and other mites which leads to the use of expensive Acaricides to be sprayed, making the harvest toxic and further taxing the meager resources.
Traders are no less .. Spurious items of food, clothing and other necessities are sold to the poor workers at exorbitant prices.
Friends, ask a true planter ... he would say chasing cows is his main job. And yes, you will always find at least one Laborer, One Planter, One Trader .... One Tea-Man once in a while, and thank God for them that the Industry still LIVES! I say my hats off to this rare class of people who continue to perform their duties in spite of so many hurdles. It is only due to them that the industry still lives on.Tea Cheers!

Organic Tea

ORGANIC TEA
Historically, Tea is known to have grown in the most inaccessible places, in its Natural pattern, and hence was first discovered as “The Elixir of Life” by the Buddhist Monks in China.
Tea was supposed to be of so Divine a nature, that the Monks did not even think of its cultivation at that time, but instead deployed Monkeys to pluck and bring Tea Leaves from such Inaccessible places for which they would be given Opium!

“This was Natural Tea”
Its usage was restricted to the Spiritual Few

Then came the Aristocracy of China, and the King was the only one who could drink or offer Tea.

Tea became reserved for the Monks and Kings.

With the spread of the Dutch and British Empire, who saw enormous profits in this “Miraculous” herb of the “East”, which gave “Good Health and Long Life” to its drinkers, were the first to introduce the Beverage commercially to Europe.

Tea became a vastly traded item. Finally the “Elixir of Life” was available to all of Mankind, and became the most widely consumed beverage in the world. Its many medicinal values are universally accepted and established.

Journey to the Past
Some estates in the recent times began to experiment by shunning the use of all Chemical Fertilizers and Chemicals on their Tea Plants. They began to provide Forest Covers and Grass Tracts between Sections of Tea.

These estates lost tremendous amount of Money by way of Reduced Yields due to Withdrawal of Fertilizers and Increased occurrence of Pests and Blights.
The Planters Persisted in their quest of achieving what was now appearing as a streak of light at the end of the tunnel.

And the end result is the Spectacular “Organic Tea”, with its outstanding Taste, Briskness and close affinity to an overall characteristic, not unduly aided by human interference.

And this status is conferred after suffering the rigorous abstention from anything In-Organic for three excruciating long years.

Organic Tea, Back to Basics

ORGANIC TEA

Historically, Tea is known to have grown in the most inaccessible places, in its Natural pattern, and hence was first discovered as “The Elixir of Life” by the Buddhist Monks in China.

Tea was supposed to be of so Divine a nature, that the Monks did not even think of its cultivation at that time, but instead deployed Monkeys to pluck and bring Tea Leaves from such Inaccessible places for which they would be given Opium!

“This was Natural Tea”

Its usage was restricted to the Spiritual Few

Then came the Aristocracy of China, and the King was the only one who could drink or offer Tea.

Tea became reserved for the Monks and Kings.

With the spread of the Dutch and British Empire, who saw enormous profits in this “Miraculous” herb of the “East”, which gave “Good Health and Long Life” to its drinkers, were the first to introduce the Beverage commercially to Europe.

Tea became a vastly traded item. Finally the “Elixir of Life” was available to all of Mankind, and became the most widely consumed beverage in the world. Its many medicinal values are universally accepted and established.

Journey to the Past

Some estates in the recent times began to experiment by shunning the use of all Chemical Fertilizers, pesticides, stimulants etc on their Tea Plants. They began to provide Forest Cover and Grass Tracts between Sections of Tea.

These estates lost tremendous amount of Money by way of Reduced Yields due to Withdrawal of Fertilizers and Increased occurrence of Pests and Blights.

The Planters Persisted in their quest of achieving what was now appearing as a streak of light at the end of the tunnel.

And the end result is the Spectacular “Organic Tea”, with its outstanding Taste and Briskness, sans the ill effects of (toxic) chemicals, grown in an environment friendly manner.

And this status is conferred after suffering the rigorous abstention from anything In-Organic for three excruciating long years.

Rejuvenation of 80 years old Tea

The pictures are of an eighty years old section of tea in the Upper Assam area, which was "Medium Pruned" and "Inter Planted", followed with an year of "Unprune" and then "Deep Skiffed" and "Desnagged" in the third year. Today, this section of Tea is today one of the highest yielder of the estate. The "Desnagging" operation was carried out very meticulously and thoroughly by extremely skilled workers.

ORGANIC TEA : THE INDIAN SCENARIO

The interest in Organic products in general and Organic Tea in particular is increasing day by day.
Unfortunately, there is a lack of awareness about the Organic drive in India.
Planters wish to convert, but not all have access to information on how to. Consumers are confused : they do not know what is organic, and where to get the same. The traders similarly appear to be in awe of undergoing formalities of registration and audits.

I wish to provide an overview of Organic Tea in this post, in simple words.

STATISTICS
Figures as per year 2006-2007 records are as follows:-
Registered Organic farmers in India : 141904
Land under Organic Cultivation : 339113 Ha.
Organic Production : 585970 MT.
Organic Exports from India : 19456 MT
Value of total exports from India : Rs. 30124 Lacs. http://www.apeda.com/organic/PresentStatus.htm

CONTROL AND REGULATION
The production and trade of Organic Agricultural produce in India is controlled by "APEDA", which stands for : Agricultural and Processed Food Products Development Authority.
http://www.apeda.com/apedawebsite/index.asp
The specific program of APEDA which oversees the Organic operation is the "NPOP" which stands for : National Program for Organic Production. http://www.apeda.com/organic/

ACCREDITIONS PRESENTLY IN VOGUE

1. National Program for Organic Production (NPOP) - India. : This certification is recognised by the European Union, and hence equivalent to EEC Certification. The certificate, however is not valid for exports to the USA, even though the USDA has formally acknowledged APEDA's Conformity Assessment System & methods as
   acceptable. http://www.apeda.com/organic/India_Recognition_Letter_Day_FINAL_02_16_06.pdf
2. USDA National Organic Program (NOP)
3. European Organic Regulations (EU 2092/91)
4. Japan Agricultural Standards (JAS)
5. Quebec Organic Reference Standard (CAAQ)
6. Bio Suisse Standards IFOAM Basic Standards
   

CURRENT FLAVOURS IN INDIA
Presently NPOP and NOP standards are the most sought after. NPOP standard in any case is the first and primary or default requirement for an Organic operator in India.

TYPES OF DECLARATION
These are country / market / scope specific. Please check validity of terms in the particular country of interest, and use only the applicable terms in print matter to get full advantage.
A Plantation / Farm may be certified as 100 % Organic; Organic; OR Organic under conversion.
A Product may be certified as 100 % Organic; Organic; Made with Organic etc.

INITIATION AND CERTIFICATION BODIES
A plantation or trade wishing to start Organic Operations should give information to and
initiate registration procedure with the APEDA. This is done through an Accredited inspection and certification agency, a list of which is available at http://www.apeda.com/organic/NPOP_certification_bodies.doc
For ease of reference, the list is given hereunder, but I urge you to check accreditation status from APEDA before hiring one.

1. Bureau Veritas Certification India Pvt. Ltd., (Formerly known as BVQI (India) Pvt.
   Ltd.) scsinfo@in.bureauveritas.com
2. ECOCERT India Pvt. Ltd ecocert@sancharnet.in
3. IMO Control Pvt. Ltd imoind@vsnl.com, http://www.imo.ch/
4. Indian Organic Certification Agency (INDOCERT) Sebastian@indocert.org
5. Lacon Quality Certification Pvt. Ltd. laconindia@sancharnet.in
6. Natural Organic Certification Agency (NOCA) nocaindia29@rediffmail.com, nocaindia@gmail.com
7. OneCert Asia Agri Certification Pvt. Ltd. info@onecertasia.in
8. SGS India Pvt. Ltd. manish.pande@sgs.com
9. Control Union Certifications (Formerly known as Skal International (India))
   cuc@controlunion.in, cucindia@controlunion.com, controlunion@vsnl.com
10. Uttarakhand State Organic Certification Agency (USOCA) uss_opca@rediffmail.com
11. APOF Organic Certification Agency (AOCA) aocabangalore@yahoo.co.in
12. Rajasthan Organic Certification Agency (ROCA) dir_rssopca@rediffmail.com
    Note:- At the time of posting this article, Nos. 11 and 12 above are not competent to
    issue NOP certificates.

PLANTATION / FARM OPERATOR SCENARIO

Conversion / Certification of a farm into Organic is the most painstaking part of the Organic Program. It is the farm which has to endure the most. From the time a farm is registered with the APEDA for NPOP for certification, it is known as "Organic under Conversion". From this time on, the farm can use only approved inputs for the maintenance, protection and sustenance of their crop.

Useful information on permissible inputs can be found at http://www.organicinputs.org/, http://www.acornorganic.org/acorn/

The list of inputs keep on changing, and one must keep abreast of the latest list at all times. Various other checks and constraints are placed to ensure complete detoxification of the produce. This is the period of conversion which lasts from 2 to 3 years as per different standards. This is the period during which one may suffer from maximum yield loss without getting any price premium of Organic, as it is yet to be certified.

TRADER / EXPORTER / OPERATOR SCENARIO

The Trader needs to follow strict norms for handling Organic Products, but the operations here are much less complex.

FLOW OF QUANTIS

Every Operator needs to maintain a Flow of Quantis, which must record each receipt, movement, transformation, dispatch, destruction or any other form of disposition in a satisfactory manner and is subject to audits. Any gain of quantity here needs explanation.

TRANSACTION CERTIFICATE

It is the duty of the Seller of Organic produce to provide the buyer with a Transaction certificate for each transaction or sale. These certificates must be traceable and unique and are issued by the respective certification agency on payment of fee.

MOTIVATION

Achievement of Organic standards is no small deed. It is a matter of pride for any organisation, as it is indicative not only of the high standards of operation with in the organisation, but also indicative of its direct, or indirect contribution towards the conservation of nature.

High level of management motivation, innovation at all levels, cutting of waste and cost at all levels, worker & management coordination, training, dedication and overall transparency is
required to last out the conversion phase and achieve the target of Organic certification. Pursuance of ISO-9001, ISO-22000, HACCP, JAS etc. simultaneously can indeed be complimentary.

INFORMATIVE LINKS AND ARTICLES

1. Canadian Organic Growers http://www.cog.ca/
2. Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance http://www.nodpa.com/
3. Organic Info Hotline http://www.mosesorganic.org/helpwanted/farmerhotline.html
4. Organic Farming - NDSU Extension Service http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/organic/
5. Organic Farming Research Foundation http://www.ofrf.org/
6. The NEW FARM http://www.newfarm.org/
7. Some very useful and Organic Tea Specific information can be found at http://www.dtrdc.org/organic.htm

An Extra Bag

The following is entirely written by Roochy - a perfect Tea Garden Memsahib, as she packs her bags to leave the Tea Gardens for ever.

As I pack my bags to leave,for a longish period,in pursuit of goals which I had left behind me nearly a decade ago and head to the throbbing heart of a metro I once called home,I realize I'll have to carry an extra bag.

Let me see,what shall pack in it?The sights, sounds and smells-the very essence of this life that I have come to know and ever so unknowingly come to love.Amidst the cocaphony of my new life this bag is going to come very handy.

Where do I start?
The buzz of a thousand bees in the litchi tree that has burst into bloom must go in.It has always been synonymous for me with the promise of the fruition of a hope.The sight of the north westers rolling in at the end of a blistering hot day,first blocking out the hills then gathering overhead to provide a stunning backdrop to the spring foliage on tall shade trees,then a clap of thunder here and a flash of lightning there- nature's orchestra adjusting it's tuning before the show finally begins.Oh yes! the first notes that emerge
from the first drops falling on the gravel at my feet all go in too.

So do the flashes of the firefly chowkidars guarding I know not what as the bustle about on duty on rainy nights.The sound of crystal tinkling indoors while elephants trumpet outdoors.Wonder if these sounds could coexist so harmoniously anywhere else.And winter mornings-I can't leave those behind either,in goes the first coherent picture my son made on the thickly fogged windscreen of the car as I drove him to school one freezing dawn-a cat with no ears and a tail half a mile long.The smell of the lawn mowed is another must,I'll wrap it in the accompanying racket of the vintage lawn mower.

The gate clanging,carpets being beaten,a bamboo broom at work on crisp dry winter leaves,the flappng of washing being hung out to dry on the line,the unmistakable smell of wood polish all symbolizing a day in my life for all these years,so intrinsically woven are they with me now that I won't have to carry them,they'll just come right along,one after another,filling in my extra bag.

And then right on top carefully ,very carefully because I'm not sure if it's gossamer fragility will ever let it survive in a new pulsating environment,I'm putting in-----the sound of silence,sheer and absolute in the stillness of a dark night.

Dont be biased about Grades

Recently I read a lot of stuff on various Tea discussion groups, some undermining the quality aspect of Dust Grades. I personally do not advocate for one grade or another. Each one to his own taste and preference.
Yet, should anyone have any doubts of the quality of different grades of tea, I wish to lay down the following:-

As is known, the Whole Leaf, Fannings and the Dusts are all made from the same leaves, undergo the same process of manufacturing and is separated based on particle size during the process of sorting.
My experience is that Fanning or Dust is NEVER inferior to Whole Leaf (or Brokens in case of CTC Teas) in any way, and actually scores over Whole Leaf in terms of Cuppage and usability in Tea Bags. (4 Grms is recommended for a cup, yet Tea Bags contains 2 to 2.5 Grms only! Thats : Dust)

I am not talking here about the PULVERISED or RECONDITIONED Dust, which can easily be identified by an experienced Tea Taster.

Coming to the main point of my post, it is the process of FERMENTATION and DRYING which lends different charecteristics to different grades.

The Surface area of a grain of Tea exposed to atmosphere during Fermentation and to Hot Air during Drying vis-a-vis its mass are different in the case of different grades. As a result, the smaller grades are more thoroughly OXIDISED and DRIED, whereas the larger grades retain a bit of GREENNESS in its core.

In general, Brew Dusts for a shorter while and enjoy the flavour of Leaf or brew Leaf for a longer while and enjoy the strength of Dusts!

Tea Cheers!
Jayesh S Pandya.