Himachal Pradesh Government is working on an ambitious project to expand the area of tea cultivation, make qualitative improvements in the tea and provide marketing facilities at the door steps to the tea planters and other co-operatives.

The state government, making a beginning had already transferred the task of handling the tea cultivation, monitoring and supervision to the Agriculture Department from the Directorate of Industries. The government is of the view that tea production in the state, especially the Kangra belt, had not shown any significant improvement despite nearly half a dozen schemes to provide various subsidies and technological inputs to the tea planters. The state cooperative department also plays a key-role in the tea production and provides marketing facilities.

Studies conducted by various agencies, including Himachal Agriculture University, show that climate, rainfall and land in some of the areas of Chamba and Mandi suited tea cultivation. The Deputy Commissioner of Chamba had also prepared a project on tea cultivation while some of the private firms had also shown interest in setting up their plants in the area, if their needs of the tea leaves were met out locally.

"A private firm is even keen to acquire a land area and start tea plantation for the locals,'' says an official of the agriculture department.

Currently Himachal Pradesh had been producing nearly 14.40 lakh kg of tea every year and Kangra tea, known for its taste and flavour even had an international demand. The department had also prepared a scheme for replacement of the old bushes and plantation of new one at their place to make qualitative improvement in the tea.

However, some tea traders say that unless Himachal Pradesh Government amends the HP Tenancy and Land Reforms Act to enable the outsiders to take agricultural land for the "purposes of tea gardens, it was not possible for even the government to establish a full-fledged tea industry in the state.