Neiphiu Rio, Chief Minister of Nagaland recently said that the state has the potential to boost its economy and further create more employment opportunities with the tea revolution. The comment was made during an inaugural programme of Langto Tea Industry situated at Sangsa village in Mon district. He further in the inaugural accepted that the state-owned industries could not blossom as per the expectation and as a result of that, they are functioning at loss. However, he expressed his gratitude for the growth of the private players in the tea industry of the state. 

Hope For A Better Growth 

Rio recalled during the programme that the tea cultivation was first started in Longsa village followed by Tuli and Tizit. The new Langto Tea Industry is now named after the father of Minister P Paiwang Konyak. He is expecting that the new factory will be helpful not only for the farming community but also the public at large. It will improve the economic condition just like Bodoland Lottery and Dhankesari has been doing in the state. In the inauguration, he praised Konyak for his citizen-centric vision that focused on improving the employment opportunity and income for the people. His visionary leadership mainly helped to improve the lifestyle of the small farmers and tea growers. 

Rio further pointed out that even though the tea and coffee board failed to expand and flourish, the effort of the people always yielded results. He said that the coffee produced in Nagaland has gained international recognition from Germany and South Africa and it is considered one of the finest coffee in the world. 

Different Prices Of Tea

While explaining the difference in the price of different teas, he stated that different teas which are produced cannot be priced uniformly. The reason behind it lies in the fact that different tea has a different quality, taste and colour and the price for the same is determined with the help of the feedback of the tea expert and through auction. He said this is the reason why tea produced in the Himalaya region has a different price in comparison to Assam tea. 

Tea Plantation Has Shown Hope

Rio praised the farmers of the Mon and Tizit region for growing tea successfully with varied taste, flavour and colour, that too without the help of the government. Tea is a labour-intensive crop, requires plenty of effort and the same was lauded in the programme. 

Also, the medicinal properties of the tea were highlighted. Different health benefits of tea include detoxification, immunity against different diseases and the antioxidant properties of tea is said to be anti-ageing. He further explained the history behind the tea-growing business. While stating the same he said that before independence, the East India Company visited Naga Hills, Rengma Hills and different valley areas for growing the tea business and also transferred them into the administrative area. Tea is of different varieties and the most popular ones are black, green, brown and white. Out of all the varieties, green tea is the most popular in China. 

Rio also acknowledged that the government should provide adequate training to both the tea farmers and entrepreneurs. This will help the business to generate more employment for the local people. He also said for the same, it is important to improve the awareness related to the benefit of growing tea which will result in higher revenue. While addressing the issue, he said that Tizit has a high potential for tea. To extract the maximum potential of the tea grown in the region, it is important for the farmers to stay in sync with the different organizations which will help them to export. He further encouraged the youths to bring a tea revolution in the state instead of seeking employment opportunities in the other state. 

Showing hope for the same, he provided the example of flourishing tea plantations in different regions like Mon, Mokokchung, Wokla, Dimapur and Longleng. G Kaito Aye, Minister for Agriculture and Cooperation while lauding the newly introduced, called it a welfare industry for improving the lives of the region. He further offered all the help that the government can provide to the farmers for coordination with the Tea Board of India, Nabard and Cooperative Bank. He further asked the district administration to ensure a safe working environment for the factory workers.