Introduction
1.6. Problem Statement
While the tea industry in Assam grew, but with the passage of time it also started facing many problems. The present crisis in the tea industry started in 1999, when unprecedented drought during the early part of the season led to drastic production cuts. Year 2000 saw the marginal improvement in production but there was a sharp drop in price realization. Production in Assam in 2001 was low as compared to the national average. During the year, prices further declined. Export also dropped by 27 million Kgs and Assam could export only 18 million Kgs of tea. It is believed that Assam is losing exports due to wrong production mix, inability to compete with the other tea producing countries due to high cost of production, old age of tea plants, organization of small holder farmers, poor quality control at the processing level and more significantly from pests and disease infestations. From March to November tea plantations suffers from various pest and disease infestations. This is the plucking season and manufacturing of tea takes place during this period. Most severe pest infestation occurs from the tea mosquito bug and thrips. Among the diseases, tea plants are infected by leaf diseases like the Blister Blight, Red Rot, Black Rot and Black Spot, stem diseases like Fusarium and Dieback and root diseases like Charcoal Stump Rot and Brown Root Rot. These disease and pest infestations greatly affect the tea plantations and it’s yield during this period. While visiting some of the tea gardens of Sonitpur area it has been found that most of these gardens are suffering from Red Spider and Helopelthis attack. The quality of Assam tea has also deteriorated in the past couple of years as planters are paying more stress on quantity over quality. Most of the small holder producers faced the problem in tea sector. There is a falling share of producer price and poor infrastructure for the small growers.