Samiran Tea Industry, set up in 1995 in Assam, produces quality green leaf at their farm, Namripodhi. It started production, packaging and marketing in the year 2006. At present, production takes place in two more farms—Kathonibari and Madurali. Apart from producing organic green leaves, it also produces CTC (Crush, Tear, Curl) Tea from bought leaf. It follows sustainable organic cultivation practices as per IFOAM Standards and has prohibited use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides in its tea estate since the very inception. It is one of the few tea estates, which are 100 per cent organic and has practiced organic methods of farming rather than converting from chemical based cultivation. Organic fertilisers provide “natural flavour, fragrance and natural taste”. Samiran Tea has formulated its own organic alternatives to use in place of chemical based insecticides and herbicides. The organic formulations are based on ancient Indian agricultural practices and uses cow dung, cow urine and medicinal plants, which are mixed together and are applied on soil and on plants. The company offers a wide range of products like Oolong Tea, Green Tea, Black Tea, White Tea and Hyson Tea.

Challenges

One of the biggest challenges for tea growers who follow organic methods of farming is weed control; more so in the rainy season. Since the soil is fertile due to farming techniques and use of vermicompost and worm compost in the soil, there is a significant amount of growth of weed, which has to be removed manually by employing a huge amount of workers, thus making it a labour intensive job.

The Eastern and North Eastern parts of India have a huge number of tea growers, which include both small and large players. Quality
of the product holds prime importance in order to maintain the growth of the business. Along with production of high quality goods, marketing is also essential in order to establish a brand. With similar products from numerous companies on offer to the customers, in order to stand out from the competition, the company has to invest in business development and product promotion.

Solution

Though growth of weed in tea estates remains a major challenge, in order to maintain the quality of the product and its commitment towards its customers, the company still follows the policy of deploying labour to remove the weed. It prides itself in offering the most natural organic tea in the market and does not want to hinder with its traditional methods of farming.

Knowledge about the product and its production process is essential and having been in the business for more than two decades has helped the promoters and its employees to gain an in-depth understanding of the requirements within the industry. It is affiliated with Tea Board of India and is a regular participant in events organised by the Board, both in India and abroad, where not only one gets a chance to exhibit its products but workshops are also organised on developing effective management strategies, innovation in tea plantation techniques and increase exports.

Though the company has been able to establish a name for itself in the market over the last decade within a limited circle, there still remains a large scope to promote the products of the company. Advertising is essential in order to increase the visibility and create brand awareness. The company is looking at using digital marketing and social media to spread awareness and reach out to its customers.

Samiran Tea has now become an identity, a monumental dream and a source of livelihood, encouragement and hope for the small tea growers. The company has been assessed and certified by the ISO 9001:2008 and HACCP for its quality and speciality.