Karbi Anglong Women Boost Income Through Handmade Tea Training

Guwahati: Women in the tea-growing hills of Karbi Anglong are shifting their strategy. They are moving away from selling raw leaves to making higher-value tea products. Nine women from Chandrasing Rongpi, Barking Engti, Sem Engti, and Hemai Lekthe villages recently completed a hands-on training program. The nonprofit group Aaranyak organized the session to help farmers generate more income from their homestead gardens.

Experienced tea maker Manai Terangpi led the instruction. The group started in a local tea garden to learn proper leaf selection. They moved to processing techniques including boiling, hand-rolling, and sun-drying. The goal is to produce handmade Green Tea and Orthodox Tea with minimal equipment investment. Participants learned that small adjustments in plucking and rolling significantly change the final market value of the crop.

The training emphasized strict quality control. Aaranyak representative Moromi Nath detailed specific standards for leaf size and drying consistency. The group plans to sell their finished goods through PIRBI, a local community-based business unit. This outlet also processes turmeric, ginger, tapioca, and moringa.

Rebeka Rongpipi of Chandrasing Rongpi said the lessons provide a new economic path. “I have learned something very interesting in tea processing that will enhance my skill to make better quality green tea and orthodox tea for a better market, rather than simply selling raw tea leaves that have less market value,” she said. Kusum Teronpi of Sem Engti noted that the process taught her how attention to detail dictates price. The program is backed by the IUCN-KfW, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Disney Conservation Fund.