Tea gardens are grown in hilly regions of Jashpur district in Chhattisgarh similar to Darjeeling and Assam as about 70 hectare land has been identified at Chilfi Valley in Kabhirdham district to grow tea plantations as a pilot project.
Initially, tea will be cultivated on 15 hectares of land. Baiga community will be involved in the tea plantations in Chilfi Valley. The atmosphere at Chilfi is seen as promising for tea plantations. The officers concerned identified villages Rajadaar and Bagwahi in Bodla Development block.
In Jashpur, tea plantations have been sown at village Saarudih. Twenty-four farmers are growing tea on 26 acres of land. ‘Joint Forest Management Samiti’ formed with the participation of citizens are doing a great job in promoting the cultivation of tea. Chief Minister Raman Singh, who is also holding the portfolio of Forests, had expressed his happiness over the developments. He called upon the officers to contact the farmers and offer them an expert advice.
The Forest Department officers said that tea will be sold as ‘Jashpur Tea’. The tea will be available at Sanjeevni Kendras of the State Minor Forest Produce (Trade and Development) at Raipur. It is interesting to note that Adivasi- dominated Saarudih in Jashpur district is making news at the national-level for its tea. It is located on a hilly terrain. The farmers grow ‘Makka’ in the area. ‘Sogada Ashram’-a social welfare organisation- located at Manora Development block had launched the pilot project of growing tea.
There are about Five thousand tea plants on the Ashram land. The experts from Darjeeling are giving technical tips at regular intervals to the farmers. The Forest Department officers decided to spread the tea plantations far and wide in the district. They found hilly region of Saarudih, favourable for the growth of tea.
About Rs1.2 cr has been sanctioned by the Forest Department. The officers created awareness among the farmers regarding the financial benefits of growing tea. Twenty-four farmers came forward for the cultivation of tea. The Samiti gave 26 acre land on lease for five years. About Rs2,200 per acre will be paid to the farmers for five years. There is a proposal to grow tea at Uper Ghat soon.