India News | From Leaf to Livelihood: Women Brew New Future Through Traditional Tea in Assam's Karbi Anglong District

Guwahati (Assam) [India], August 20 (ANI): A simple tea leaf is taking on a new meaning for rural women in Assam's Karbi Anglong district, as Aaranyak organised a one-day hands-on training programme to help nine Karbi women turn locally grown tea into higher-value handmade Green Tea and Traditional Tea - creating a potential source of sustainable, home-based income while keeping traditional knowledge alive.

Women from Chandrasing Rongpi, Barking Engti, Sem Engti and Hemai Lekthe villages, many of whom are engaged in tea cultivation and homestead farming, participated in the training.

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The programme focused on a practical question: how can communities earn more from resources they already grow?

Instead of selling freshly plucked leaves as raw produce, the participants learned how careful processing can transform them into speciality teas with greater market value. The approach requires relatively low investment and can be practised at the household level, making it particularly relevant for women dependent on subsistence farming and seasonal agricultural labour.

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Manai Terangpi, an experienced green tea and traditional tea practitioner from Chandrasing Rongpi village, served as the Resource Person. The training began at a nearby tea farm, where participants learned how to select and properly pluck leaves for tea processing. They then received practical demonstrations and hands-on instruction in preparing hand-rolled green tea, including boiling, hand-rolling, and sun-drying, followed by the preparation of traditional tea.

For the participants, the training was not simply about learning a new technique--it was about adding value to what they already know.

Rebeka Rongpipi of Chandra Sing Rongpi village said, "I have learned something very interesting in tea processing that will enhance my skill to make better quality green tea and traditional tea for a better market, rather than simply selling raw tea leaves that have less market value."

Kusum Teronpi of Sem Engti village said, "I have learnt how small but careful details like proper selection of tea leaves, plucking, rolling, and drying can enhance the quality and look of the tea, giving me hope that it will fetch more in the market."

The training also introduced participants to the importance of quality in developing a marketable product. Moromi Nath of Aaranyak spoke about the quality and demand for handmade Green Tea and Traditional Tea and explained the standards required for procurement under PIRBI.

She said the tea produced by the women would be procured and paid for according to its quality, determined by factors such as leaf size, rolling and proper drying. She encouraged the women to begin with small quantities and practise regularly to gradually improve the quality of their products.

Larbeen Teronpi of Aaranyak introduced the participants to PIRBI, a community-based business and food processing unit operating in the village.

She also highlighted other value-addition opportunities involving locally available products, including turmeric, ginger powder, tapioca flour and moringa powder. Such processing, she noted, can help rural households generate additional income from resources already available within their communities.

Beyond livelihood generation, the initiative carries a deeper cultural significance. Traditional tea-making knowledge, passed down through generations, can gradually disappear as livelihood patterns change. By helping women practise, refine and potentially market these skills, the training seeks to keep tea-making alive as a living community heritage.

The initiative demonstrates how local resources, traditional knowledge and women's skills can come together to create sustainable livelihood opportunities while keeping communities connected to their land and cultural practices. With continued skill development and appropriate market linkages, handmade tea from Karbi Anglong could emerge as an authentic village-based speciality product, creating opportunities for local enterprise and economic growth.

The programme was conducted with the support of Team Aaranyak, with active participation from women representing Chandrasing Rongpi, Barking Engti, Sem Engti and Hemai Lekthe villages.

Aaranyak remains committed to conserving the rich biodiversity and natural heritage of Northeast India by supporting indigenous people and local communities through alternative and sustainable livelihoods and nature-based solutions. The Natural Resource Management Programme of Aaranyak is supported by IUCN-KfW, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Disney Conservation Fund. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)