Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Assam small tea growers are fighting for their survival. The North East Confederation Small Tea Growers’ Association (NECSTGA) has demanded an immediate review of a 2024 FSSAI directive on mandatory pesticide testing. The association says the current compliance rules threaten the livelihoods of nearly 1.5 lakh small growers across the state.
NECSTGA president Diganta Phukan and secretary general Binod Buragohain sent a letter to the FSSAI chief in New Delhi. They stated the situation has “created serious concern among tea growers across the state” and demanded urgent government intervention.
Trouble began on July 23, 2026. Hindustan Unilever Limited and Tata Consumer Products Limited told traders they would only buy FSSAI-compliant tea. Since Bought Leaf Factories rely on these two giants, they are rejecting non-compliant green leaves to protect their supply chains. This leaves farmers with nowhere to sell their crops.
The regulator’s March 4, 2024, order requires testing for six chemicals: Cypermethrin, Acephate, Imidacloprid, Acetamiprid, Dinotefuran, and Fipronil. Growers argue these pesticides are not banned. They point out that Acetamiprid and Imidacloprid hold label claim expansions from the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee. Cypermethrin also has an established Codex Maximum Residue Limit.
Tensions remain high. The Assam Bought Leaf Tea Manufacturers Association previously threatened to close all factories on June 1, 2024, due to testing hurdles. Growers have now petitioned Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda, asking him to speed up the notification of residue limits for specific pesticides to stop crop losses. While FSSAI officials have pushed for bio-pesticides and run awareness programs, the industry insists the current testing mandate is nothing more than over-regulation.
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