Aiming to get better scope in the market, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb Saturday unveiled the official logo of Tripura Tea.
Speaking on the logo, he said, ‘Nothing exists without its name and logo is the identity of a product. It is very unfortunate that tea produced in Tripura did not have a logo till now. We have designed a logo. This will go a long way in promoting tea from the state. If our tea is auctioned and sold in Bangladesh, they will benefit since they have a huge demand and shortage of supplies. We will also benefit from the large market. I have written to Union Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu and the Minister for External Affairs about this issue’.
Tea industry started in Tripura over 100 years ago, in 1916, at Hiracherra tea estate in present Unakoti district. The state now has 58 operational tea estates, among which 42 are individually owned, 13 are operated under cooperative societies and 3 are run by the Tripura Tea Development Corporation (TTDC). Nearly 3,000 small tea growers also run their small tea estates with government support. As per government estimates, 6,885-hectare land area is under tea cultivation in the state, in which 3.58 crore kg green tea leaf is produced annually. Meanwhile, talks are on to facilitate the auction of Tripura Tea at Srimangal auction centre, which is in Bangladesh, right across the international border near Kailashahar in Unakoti district, 15 Km from here.