Guwahati (Assam) [India]: The two-day Bi-Centenary Assam Tea International Conference was held in Guwahati to commemorate the completion of 200 years of Assam tea.
The main aim of organizing the conference known as BATIC2024 was to give a platform for the exchange of knowledge on tea and the sharing of information amongst stakeholders of the Indian and global tea industry.
On Tuesday, several sessions with different themes were held on the last day of the conference where delegates representing 25 countries participated.
BATIC acts as a vital platform, uniting tea industry buyers and sellers for networking, auctions, and exhibitions.
It also nurtures global collaborations within the tea sector whereas the FAO IGG plays a pivotal role in serving as a forum for intergovernmental consultation and exchange on trends in the production, consumption, trade, and prices of tea, regularly assessing the global market situation and short-term outlook for tea, facilitating discussions among tea-producing and tea-consuming countries, as well as other stakeholders in the tea industry, while also addressing issues related to the tea supply chain and consumption trends, aiming to provide insights and recommendations to support the sustainable development of the global tea industry.
While addressing the gathering, Assam Minister Bimal Borah acknowledged the monumental contributions made by several contemporary figures in the initial days of the establishment of the tea industry in Assam while also emphasizing the paramount importance of the tea industry and its substantial contributions to Assam’s socio-economic development and global reputation.
Also underscored the pivotal role played by the industry in providing livelihoods to both large and small tea growers and workers, while also creating numerous employment opportunities for allied industries.
He underscored the critical need for embracing sustainable agricultural and manufacturing practices, integrating cutting-edge technology, and devising a strategic roadmap for sustainable expansion and scalability.
Additionally, the Assam Minister highlighted the significance of exploring untapped markets and demographics, as well as enhancing value across the entire manufacturing, packaging, and distribution chains to effectively compete in an increasingly dynamic and competitive global marketplace.
“The Bi-Centenary Assam Tea International Conference to guide the industry forward while assuring the full support from the Government of Assam,” the Assam Minister said.
Dr Ruanjali Deb Baruah, Scientist C, GIS and Climate Change, Tea Research Association told media that – “So far as climate changes concern if we talk about South bank region of Assam, the rainfall has decreased by 200 mm over the period of more than 100 years and the minimum temperature has increased by 1.3 Degree Celsius which is quite subsentential decrease in terms of rainfall and increase in terms of temperature.”
“Tea is a crop which requires a specific limit of requirements, so the entire ecosystem with the change in climate which is an increase in temperature and decrease in rainfall is going to have an adverse impact on tea plantations. Until and unless proper adaptation and mitigation strategies are taken up at the right time it’s high time now,” he added.
On the other hand, Dinesh Bihani, Secretary of the Guwahati Tea Auction Buyer’s Association (GTABA) told ANI that, the conference was started on January 29 and concluded today.
“In today’s meeting fruitful discussion was held on Climate Change & Carbon, Agriculture & Tea. Climate changes have affected tea plantations,” Dinesh Bihani said.
Atul Asthana, Chairman of the Indian Tea Association said that it’s a good initiative to organize such an international conference to celebrate 200 years of Assam tea.
“All stakeholders of the tea industry are present today. Not only India, delegates from other countries have also participated,” Atul Asthana said.
