Wokha tea growers trained on marketing, entrepreneurship

District Administration Wokha, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Plantation Management-Bengaluru (IIPMB) and the Tea Board of India, organised a technical workshop on “Marketing Strategies & Business Opportunities for Tea Growers” at the Deputy Commissioner’s Conference Hall here on September 2.
The workshop formed part of a three-day capacity-building programme (September 1–3), aimed at equipping tea growers with training in cultivation techniques, plantation management, marketing strategies, entrepreneurship, and value chain development to enhance livelihoods.
Delivering the inaugural address, Deputy Commissioner Wokha, Vineet Kumar, called upon participants to adopt scientific and sustainable plantation practices, emphasise organic tea branding and certification, and develop localised processing and marketing linkages. He underscored the importance of quality testing and certification to position Wokha as a recognised tea-growing region, and appealed to IIPMB to consider adopting Wokha’s small tea growers as a special institutional case.
Expert sessions were conducted by faculty members from IIPMB Bengaluru and Jorhat, and Mariani College, Assam.
Professor and Director (I/C), IIPMB Bengaluru, John Mano Raj, noted that Wokha’s well-maintained plantations remain underutilised due to lack of systematic management and encouraged growers to adopt market-oriented and entrepreneurial approaches.
Associate Professor, IIPMB Bengaluru, K. Narendran, spoke on tea processing, value addition, and branding opportunities to connect Wokha tea with specialty and organic markets.
Assistant Professor, Mariani College Jorhat, Raj Kumar Gohain Baruah, observed that Wokha’s largely pest- and disease-free plantations offer a strong foundation for organic farming.
As a follow-up, selected tea growers will undergo exposure visits and hands-on training at the Livelihood Business Incubation Centre, IIPMB Jorhat, which specialises in agri-entrepreneurship and plantation-based value chains. Sessions will be facilitated by Assistant Professor, IIPMB Jorhat, Ankur Gogoi.
Faculty teams from IIPMB and Mariani College also visited plantations across the district, including those under the Wokha District Small Tea Growers’ Association, to assess current practices and explore cluster-based interventions and cooperative processing units.
Delivering the vote of thanks, Project Manager, District Administration Wokha, Anuranjan Singh, encouraged participants to begin with small initiatives, utilise available government schemes, and leverage institutional expertise. He described the workshop as a foundational step towards building a self-reliant tea ecosystem in Wokha and reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to entrepreneurship, market access, and quality certification.

_{Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.}