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Plans brewing to promote Kangra tea at airports, railway stations

By, Dharamshala
Oct 11, 2024 07:48 AM IST

The new measures aim to elevate Kangra tea’s profile and attract more consumers, ensuring this cherished local product gains the attention it merits on a national level

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The Kangra tea is grown 900-1,400 m above sea level on the slopes of Dhauladhar range. (File Photo)
The Kangra tea is grown 900-1,400 m above sea level on the slopes of Dhauladhar range. (File Photo)

Looking to enhance the visibility of Kangra tea, the Tea Board India is planning new initiatives to utilise advertising spaces at airports and railway stations for the promotion.

This comes after the matter was deliberated at the recent 250th board meeting of the Tea Board India, held in Palampur, as the need was being felt to promote the Kangra tea and increase its visibility in the market.

The Board is currently developing a proposal. The new measures aim to elevate Kangra tea’s profile and attract more consumers, ensuring this cherished local product gains the attention it merits on a national level.

Board deputy director Rakesh Kumar, said, “The groundwork has been started and the proposal for this is under progress. Our main aim is to increase the visibility of the Kangra tea. It will be sent to the ministry after due diligence.”

Kangra tea is known for its unique aroma and traces of fruity flavour. Milder than the Darjeeling tea in terms of flavour, it has more body and liquor. The tea is grown 900-1,400 m above sea level on the slopes of the Dhauladhar mountain range in the western Himalayas.

Tea planters have been voicing concerns about the promotion and the lack thereof for the Kangra tea, emphasising that more efforts are needed to enhance its visibility. Suksham Butail, president of the Kangra Valley Small Tea Planters Association, said,

“Kangra tea has not been marketed to the level it deserves. It has the potential to make a significant impact in both national and international markets, but this requires concerted efforts from the government. These new initiatives of the Tea Board will play an important role in increasing the visibility of Kangra tea, which is essential at this time,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Tea board also is expecting to promote the Kangra tea under the recently announced Tea Development and Promotion Scheme (for 2023-24 to 2025-26) which has the provisions for organising campaigns and sustained brand promotion activities, which will be conducted jointly by Industry stakeholders and the Tea Board.

Notably, the European Commission in 2023 granted a protected geographical indication (PGI) for the unique Kangra tea. Once popular in Europe, Central Asia and Australia, and even Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Karga tea has lost favour and production has plummeted in recent years. Dedicated efforts, however, the annual production hovers at around 9 to 10 lakh kg at present.

Dr Jameson, then superintendent of the Botanical Tea Gardens, had in 1849 spotted the region’s potential for tea cultivation. Being one of India’s smallest tea regions makes Kangra green and black tea more exclusive.

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