The Future Ai

Dehradun: : A week after the Bageshwar district administration began selling premium Kausani tea directly in the local market for the first time in Uttarakhand on April 15, officials said around 400kg had been sold and an order for another 200kg was in the pipeline.Bageshwar contributes nearly 60% of the state’s tea output, with around 30% of the cultivation area located in the district. Every year, about 80,000 to 85,000kg of tea is sent to Kolkata, while tea worth around Rs 5 lakh is sold directly to tourists in Kausani. Promod Kumar, manager of the Uttarakhand Tea Development Board (UTDB) in Kausani, said, “Selling tea at the factory level will significantly benefit the sector by reducing transportation and associated costs.“Project manager Arif Khan said the tea, sourced from two factories under UTDB, is processed and marketed through 60 women-led self-help groups. He added, “Most of our buyers are tourists, local consumers and urban markets such as Delhi and Lucknow.”District magistrate Akanksha Konde said, “The project was designed to professionalise tea marketing while ensuring direct income generation for women involved in self-help groups.” Cluster Level Federation (CLF) handles operations under the initiative.Industry observers said the sector has strong potential due to favorable climatic conditions. However, many tea gardens remain unused, and farmers show limited interest due to low profitability. They said stronger policy support, better market linkages and improved branding could help turn it into a viable source of employment and income.