Vincent…

Third in the row from 2005, this young frenchman from Bordeaux University, has joined us for training to learn tea under Indian conditions. Lucky for Vicky, who has just joined the Company and as his first assignment has been asked to be Vincent’s moderator.

We plan to train him at Doke, Darjeeling, Meghma & Nepal, since these diverse conditions provide right opportunity to understand the conventional and bio-dynamic cultivation of tea.

His first assignment is at Doke to streamline the educational facility for tea garden children. This is to facilitate Indus Foundation.

Glenburn…

Vincent from Bordeaux University, France, joined us for three month training yesterday and Ankit took him to Glenburn alongwith Sanyog Tamang for tea testing for which they were invited by Ms. Radhika, the owner in presence of Ranbir Sen, an old J Thomas hand.

It was an educational trip for the young men and they really enjoyed over tea making and garden tour which was followed by a sumptous meal. 

Meghma..

Bio-dynamic tea plantation on Indo-Nepal border at 7500 feet above mean sea level is truly a organic cultivation in real sense because of total absence of any pollution, since it is so away from civilization. Great oolongs are being manufactured there in a makeshift factory without electricity.

Owner Madan Tamang, who started planting it since 1998, is my old friend. His son Sanyog is Ankit’s school mate and they visited Meghma togather yesterday to set manufacturing according to our needs.

Spring flowers..

We live among the nature, but are mentally far removed by worldly pressures and cease to appreciate the refreshing things around us. Today morning at my rooftop garden I noticed this guava flower which resembles so much to tea flower except the color and posture.

Kishangunj

It took 10 years for this district to wake up to the challange presented by the Tea Board to grow tea in this region as a non-tradional tea growing area on the call of its then Diviosional Commissioner Ms. Amita Paul, which pioneers like Raju Daftari took up and sucessfully established tea gardens there.

We in 2006 took up with the Bihar Government to give us safe passage so that the dream of Tea Board can be fulfilled and a healthy tea industry be established. Now the onus lies onto the political will of ruling party in the wake of Singur and Nandigram of nearby Bengal and its land policies and their reforms.

Giddapahar

On the way to Kurseong thru the longer Mahanadi route, lies this small unknown tea estate, which escapes everybody’s attention because of its owner’s attitude. Himanshu & Sudhanshu Shaw, two simple jolly natured young persons own this and stays on the property.

After being associated with Darjeeling since 1976, I came across this tea recently and found this comparable to Makaibari. Simply because of the owner’s simplicity this is a underplayed tea and does not find its right place in the international markets.

Sick, closed & abandoned tea gardens…

Centre for Education & Communication, a Delhi based NGO attached to Ministry of Labour, held a workshop on the solutions and alternatives for such gardens to prevent the spread of this problem  further, which was attended by administration, educational institutions, labour unions and industry.

A role model to fit the changing scenario was discussed – co-operative movement – which was presented by Prerna, a Darjeeling based NGO, who have recovered the Mineral Springs area tea plantations with the help of organic and fairtrade practices.

Tata Tea model was also discussed which is being implemented in Bengal tea gardens of the company, in which workers will become partners in the newly floated company, which will facilitate workers to take various other activities like tea tourism, floriculture, multi-cropping and fishries etc. 

Our firm belief lies in better presentation and world class marketing to earn better margins to improve tea gardens and thereby take care of garden workers and their living conditions. This will solve all problems.

Nakalbanda

My second daughter, Neha’s in law’s has a 250 acres or 100 hectare tea farm complete with tea processing factory in Nepal. We all visited it today and had a sort of family picnic too there. Just ten year old clonal Assam variety bushes are planted on excellent well drained soil of rolling undulating hills. The geographical location is virtually on the Indo-Nepal border across Mechi river and Naxalbari tea estate is on the Indian side.

Dinesh Prashaji’s father had a rice mill there long back and had a timber sawing mill later, which he later changed to a CTC tea factory. About 350 thousand kilos tea is processed there. A very promising enterprise.

Irrigation..

It is the water management which keeps the Tea going, both in the field as well as on the shelf, weather on the bush or in the container.

We are sustaining Doke with water management only in the sweltering heat of 45 C from Gangetic plains and the evopo-transpiration done by high velocity hot dry winds comming from Bihar central lands. We have created a micro-climate which allows the sustinance.

This heat gives an on-spot strength to the teas which become very apparent in the north American waters. Likewise the mangoes and the litchi fruits  get their sweetness from hot winds of April/May months.

Makaibari

For us it is the beacon of faith, and my association of 32 years with Rajah Banerjee and his father, has been of trust and friendship. Makaibari is Darjeeling & Darjeeling is Makaibari.

Nothing has changed at this plantation since long and Organic concept took its certification from Makaibari. Dr. Rainer Bachi used to come to Darjeeling in early 1980s and took his baptism at this estate.

It was Makaibari Vintage Muskatel black tea which won the Gold Medal in China Tea Expo 2006 in Beijing. Dongli Tea had taken the entry on our behalf.