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Business Standard
7 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Growers welcome Centre's move to include tea in weather insurance scheme
Tea growers hailed the government's decision to bring the sector under the Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS), which they said would help mitigate losses due to erratic rainfall and rising temperatures. The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare issued a notification on June 10, stating that the insurance scheme would come into effect from the Kharif 2025. States and UTs were asked to expedite the floating of tenders, finalisation of the insurance company and other modalities by June 20 to ensure that farmers can avail the benefit of the scheme. Indian Tea Association (ITA) secretary general Arijit Raha told PTI this is the first time the sector has been brought under the purview of a weather-based insurance scheme. "The tea sector is witnessing frequent fluctuations in production due to erratic rainfall, waterlogging and a rise in temperature, exceeding 35 degrees Celsius. Climate change adaptation and mitigation have become a major challenge to keep the sector sustainable," he said. "In this context, a weather-based crop insurance is a necessity. We heartily welcome the decision of the Centre to extend the scheme to this sector," he added. Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers (CISTA) president Bijoy Gopal Chakraborty said the demand for it was being raised for the last five years. "We welcome this step. Crop insurance is an effective and mitigating component in the backdrop of climate change. Tea cultivation by small growers had been hit by high temperatures and excessive rains," he said. India, the second-largest tea producer in the world after China, reported 1,382 million kg of production in 2024. In 2023, it produced 1,375 million kg of tea. Small tea growers contribute to more than 50 per cent of the country's total production. Assam is the largest tea-producing state in the country, followed by West Bengal and the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, and UP are among the states that grow small quantities of tea. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Bengal's tea to be covered by Centre's weather-based insurance
Kolkata: Centre has introduced weather-based insurance for some plantation crops, including tea. Tea in Bengal, Assam and Kerala is under the scheme. In a circular issued on June 10, Union ministry of agriculture and farmers welfare said: "DA&FW, in collaboration with state govts, commodity boards under the aegis of the department of commerce, as well as the coconut development board and other stakeholders, undertook proactive steps to define scientific term sheets for some plantation crops to facilitate extending accessible, affordable crop insurance coverage to plantation farmers through the Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS). " The circular asked states to expedite tender processes — for the participation of private players — by June 20 to include different plantation crops under RWBCIS with effect from this kharif season. Bijoy Gopal Chakraborty, president of CISTA, the representative body of the small tea growers, said that this was the first time a weather-based crop insurance was introduced for plantation crops. "It is a long-awaited and welcome move. We have been asking for this for some years," he added. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
