Organic Tea farming in Ilam

Abstract

Tea is the most popular beverage consumed all over the world because of its refreshing effects and known benefits to human health due to its potential pharmacological properties such as anti-oxidative, anti-tumor and anti-carcinogenic activities. Tea is a high profitable crop that provides a benefit to hillside farmers in terms of financial support which helps to balances the economy. Nepal is one of the good tea producing and exporting country, Nepal has a century old history in tea farming initiated with the establishment of Ilam Tea Estate in the hills of Ilam district 1863 (1920 B.S) during the reign of Jung Bahadur Rana. Tea is taken as self-dependent cash crop in agro forestry practice. This study is based on organic tea farming in Ilam, a district in the Eastern Development Region.The objectives of the study were to identify the issues of organic tea farming, differentiate between organic tea farming and non-organic tea farming and analyze the status of tea cultivation in the study area. According to National Population Census and Household Census (2011) there are 962 household in ward no: 9 of the Suryodaya Municipality. Among them 74 households were involved inorganic tea farming and 560 households were involved in non-organic tea farming.Among them, 20 households were selected for the study of organic tea farming.Similarly, 30 households of non-organic tea farming were selected for the study.For this study convenience sampling methods was applied(non-probability sampling). Two types of data were collected; primary and secondary data. Primary data were collected through field survey by applying Interview and KII methods. Interview was applied to find out the status of tea farming cultivation and to analyze the differences between organic tea and non-organic tea farming and KII was applied to analyze existing issues in organic tea farming in the study area.This study is based more on qualitative data than quantitative data and nature. Janajati were the majority group of both organic and non-organic tea farming,literacy rate was quite satisfying with around 97% in both farming system and occupation status was also more or less similar; above70% people were involving in agriculture sector. Tea cultivation practice included;preparation of land, nursery,plantation, mulching, de centering, de-budding, pruning, tipping and finally plucking round. Organic tea farming is newly growing farming system in Ilam, it has some criteria to be different from non-organic tea. Organic tea farming and non-organic tea farming is different farming practice. Such as differences in selection of site firstly, difference in manuring system, likewise difference in plucking system, quality and price rate is also different, other difference between two farming are organic tea farming has recording system, inspection system, must be a member of organic certified cooperatives and reward and punishment system but these things are not applied in non-organic.Despite the huge possibilities of tea in terms of financial support some issues were found there such as shortage of labor and organic pest,heavy tax on tea, no tea oxoncentre, small market size, shortage of labors, lack of organic pest.