Tea Report June 2015
INDIA
Ambootia Tea Estate has grown tea organically since 1996 and owner Sanjay Bansal has an inspirational vision for the future of tea in northeast India. At a time when many estates in Darjeeling and Assam are struggling to continue their historic role as producers of fine teas, Ambootia Group is taking over the management of sick gardens in order to convert them to organic-biodynamic production.
Bansal’s long term plan for sustainable tea production will secure a more settled and successful future for the gardens and for the workers who pluck the tea, care for the plants and process the tea in the factories.
Ambootia now owns 17 gardens in Darjeeling and Assam, including Chongtong, Happy Valley, Monteviot, Moondakotee, Mullootar, Nagri, Nurbong, Sepoydhoorah (Chamling), Sivitar and the most recent acquisition Rangaroon, and expects to own 21 in the very near future. The environmentally-friendly, organic and bio-dynamic farming methods employed prevent soil erosion and rid the soil of chemical residues left by former owners; the use of renewable sources of energy such as hydro-electricity reduces the company’s carbon footprint; and creative schemes on all the gardens offer employees a chance to be closely involved in the care of the gardens and the environment while earning better wages and attaining a better standard of living.
Read more at http://ambootia.com