The Assam Bought Leaf Tea Manufacturers Association (ABLTMA) has announced the temporary withdrawal of its decision to close factories. This move comes after the Upper Assam Small Tea Planters’ Association and members of the All-Assam Small Tea Growers’ Association assured compliance with regulations on banned chemicals and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) guidelines.
ABLTMA President Chand Kumar Gohain conveyed to the media that, starting tomorrow, ABLTMA member factories will resume accepting green tea leaves from small tea growers. “In response to the requests and assurances from the small tea growers’ association regarding the non-use of prohibited chemicals, we have opted to temporarily withdraw our shutdown decision. From tomorrow, all ABLTMA member factories will accept green tea leaves from small tea growers. We also plan to voice our concerns to the government and the Tea Board to seek an immediate resolution,” Gohain stated.
Diganta Hazarika, General Secretary of the Upper Assam Small Tea Planters’ Association, also addressed the media during the announcement.
Previously, ABLTMA had declared a shutdown of its factories starting June 1, citing challenges in producing FSSAI-compliant tea from untested green leaves supplied by small growers. The current decision to resume operations marks a critical step towards resolving these issues through collaborative efforts with small tea growers.