Assam planters physique urges State to make sure all teas produced are FSSAI-compliant

Tea planters physique North Jap Tea Affiliation (NETA) has urged the Assam authorities and the Centre to take speedy measures corresponding to prohibiting the sale of sure pesticides and approving two different pesticides to be used in tea cultivation to make sure that all teas produced in Assam are compliant with Meals and Security Requirements Authority of India (FSSAI).

“You’re nicely conscious of the truth that 50 per cent of the overall inexperienced leaf is produced by the Small Tea Growers (STGs). Attributable to a lack of understanding, the STGs spray some pesticides that aren’t accredited to be used in tea. Nonetheless, these pesticides, which aren’t accredited to be used in tea, can be found on the open market as a result of they can be utilized in different crops. Tea is the lifeline business of Assam; 90 per cent of complete exports from Assam are tea alone; lakhs and lakhs of individuals’s livelihoods are dependent upon this business,” NETA, which submitted a memorandum to Assam Agriculture Minister Atul Bora, stated.

In response to the memorandum of the tea planters physique, in current days, throughout testing of teas, it was discovered that six pesticides — Cypermethrin, Acephate, Imidacloprid, Acetamiprid, Dinotefuran, and Fipronil — which aren’t accredited to be used in tea, have generally crossed the Most Residue Restrict (MRL). The Meals Security and Requirements Authority of India (FSSAI), vide a directive dated March 4, 2024, made it obligatory to check these pesticides. “We envisage that 90 per cent of our FSSAI compliance subject in tea would get resolved if these six pesticides are prohibited from promoting to tea growers…,” it stated.

Confidence over compliance

A delegation of NETA, led by its chairman Ajay Dhandharia, met Bora on Sunday and submitted the memorandum on methods and means to resolve the current disaster on “FSSAI compliance in tea”.

NETA has additionally stated the Tea Analysis Affiliation (TRA) has submitted a file to Central Pesticides Board & Registration Committee (CIB&RC) for extension of label declare of Acetamiprid and Imidacloprid for tea. “TRA has additionally submitted copies of the file to the Director of Agriculture, Assam, in search of essential assist. As soon as MRLs are mounted for Acetamiprid and Imidacloprid, we’re assured that 90 per cent of the teas (if not 100 per cent) produced in Assam will change into FSSAI compliant,” it stated.

“We solicit your assist in getting the extension of label declare of Acetamiprid and Imidacloprid for tea from CIB&RC and at last declaration of MRL by FSSAI, for which we stay ever grateful to you,” NETA advisor Bidyananda Barkakoty wrote in a letter to the Assam Agriculture Minister.

FSSAI compliance is a delicate topic which must be dealt with with utmost care, Barkakoty added.