Tea Plantation

Introduction:

The 150 year-old Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation, Limited entered the plantation business in 1913. Today its plantations in the hills of South India cover 2,822 hectares under tea. These plantations are located in prime plantation areas, producing 8 million kgs of tea annually. Preserving the aroma, flavour and distinct taste of classic Indian tea, BBTCL is one of the most experienced and highly respected business houses in the country. Operating for the last 150 years, we hold the distinction of being amongst the most eminent and reputed manufacturers and exporters of naturally grown “ Organic Tea”.

Brief History

The BBTCL was incorporated in 1863 and is the oldest Rupee company in India founded with public participation. As the name suggests, the company in its early years, dealt with trading of timber from Burma (now Myanmar). It was not until 1913 that we turned our attention to tea plantations. After learning about the areas suitable for tea plantations in South India, we decided to invest there and opened our first estates in the Anamallai hills of Coimbatore District in Tamil Nadu.
By 1926, we established “The Mudis Group of estates”, which today comprises of five estates and four factories having 1,863 hectares for tea plantation. It was also at this time that we acquired land in further south (at the tip of the Indian peninsular) and founded “The Singampatti Group” which today has three estates, covering 804 hectares and having three factories. In addition, we (BBTC, as popularly known in South India) acquired Dunsandle Estate (155 hectares) in the Nilgiris, which is one of the earliest planted estates in South India. Today, we have 2,822 hectares under tea and produce about 8 million kgs of tea annually.

OUR NILGIRI TREASURE

Our Dunsandle Estate, situated in the better-known Nilgiri hills, is a high elevation estate at over 6,000 feet above sea level. It produces typical high elevation teas with the distinctive Nilgiri aroma and flavour. The Nilgiri district is far more populated and has some of the oldest tea plantations in South India (some of it over a hundred years old and are still going strong). The district has two major townships and is well known as a tourist destination. Though, primarily a tea growing area which produces some of the best tea in South India, the district also has other industries and a major army cantonment, which houses the Defence Services Staff College and the Madras Regimental Center.

GOING ORGANIC:

Situated at the southern tip of the Western Ghats, just 40 miles from the cape of the peninsular, is the Singampatti Group of Estates of BBTCL. The estates nestle in the midst of a lush green rainforest, which stands untouched and pristine and is completely isolated. No other human habitation or industry exists in the area for miles around. The elevation of the three estates in the group range from 2,300 to 4,200 feet above sea level. The lowest is named Manjolai, which translates to ‘mango grove.’ The next estate is 10 kilometers away and 1,500 feet higher and is called Manimuttar (river of pearls) after the river that flows through it. The third, close to Manimuttar, is Oothu, which means ‘spring of water’. Our Oothu Estate is ISO 9002:2000 Certified. The three between them cover 804 hectares of tea.

In 1988, when the idea of organic tea arose, it was natural to think of Singampatti. The isolation from external contamination was a contributing consideration, and the environment was the clinching factor.

From Tea to Organic Tea
Botanically Tea plants are the species of Camellia Sinensis or Thea Sinensis and organic tea is not a different plant but the cultivation process and natural treatment brings about considerable difference. Organic tea cultures totally discard the flow of agrochemicals in the food chain.

Organic tea came into being by the philosophical views of Rudolf Steiner and later Lady Eve Balfour, who in 1930s founded the Soil Association and encouraged the culture of organic and beverages in developing countries. Furthering this initiation we started organic tea cultures.

Organic cultivation is not just manpower intensive, but also taxing on the fertility front, where soil fertility has to be maintained without the use of chemicals. We therefore made enriching composite on site, which when combined with oil seed cake acts as a benign fertilizer, improving soil condition and conservation. Vermiculture, nature’s own way of soil enrichment was used extensively.

Complete Organic Cultivation
Organic tea at Oothu is grown with absolutely no chemical input or artificial fertilizers. Nutrition is provided by the use of vermiculture and large scale application of compost and oil cakes. All pest and disease control is carried out by purely natural methods of cultivation. Today, Oothu Tea Estate produces 1million kgs of organic tea annually.

Tea appreciated the world over
In 1992, we built a factory dedicated to the manufacture of organic tea at Oothu and today, both black and green tea are produced here. This production is carefully inspected and certified by The Institut Für Marktökologie, Switzerland, that is accredited to EEC and associate members of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). The certification conforms to EEC regulations for production of organic

ADVANTAGE OF ORGANIC TEA:

Organic tea offers all the benefits of conventional tea and above and over that some of its benefits are amplified because of its cultivation procedure. It also nulls the bad effects of agrochemicals found in conventional tea. It is pure, rich, strong, dark and has a refreshing aroma. The benefits of Organic Tea are:

Organic tea contains antioxidants as the key components. High levels of antioxidants minimize the amount of harmful free radicals in the body and reduce the chances of cancer.
It is also one of the few natural sources of fluoride and reduces high blood cholesterol and blood pressure.
It is a non-toxic refreshing beverage.

PEOPLE- OUR ASSET & PRIDE:

Each of our tea estates or group is a completely self-contained community, with its own bazaars, places of worship, schools, residential quarters and hospitals. The complete workforce is housed on the estates and we provide all amenities. The plantation workers at our estate are probably the best paid unskilled agricultural worker in the country, enjoying all the amenities that a normal industrial worker has and even more, such as provident fund, gratuity, free housing, crèches, free medical aid and schooling for the children up to primary level. Worker welfare is a high priority, which, given the circumstances of distance from urban amenities, is a necessity. A small township, solely dependent on the tea industry for its existence, is situated in the center of the district and looks after the other needs of the population. In addition, recreation clubs are provided for relaxation after a hard day’s work. We understand that happy people make an efficient work force.

A PARTNERSHIP WITH NATURE:

“Founded in 1899, NABU (NATURE AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION UNION) is one of the oldest and largest environment associations in Germany. The association encompasses more than 460,000 members and sponsors, who commit themselves to the conservation of threatened habitats, flora and fauna, to climate protection and energy policy. NABU is the German partner of the global Bird Life International network.”

The purpose of the cooperation between BBTCL and NABU is to support environmental protection and education in the tea gardens. The cooperation project specifically supports the development of a wildlife monitoring system on the estates of the Singampatti group, including protected areas.

Bombay Burmah with NABU are monitoring the environment in the Plantations

The forest surrounding our estates teems with wild life. The flora and fauna have been the subject of studies by people from all over the world. It is not surprising that managers who worked here from 1929 onwards took pains to preserve the area in its original condition. Even the planted tea fields were left with jungle belts between them, unlike other areas under tea.

Complementing our commitment for preserving nature, we have made the best use of our resources in safe-guarding the flora and fauna of our virgin forestlands. The Mundanthurai / Kalakkad wildlife reserves have the unique distinction of providing sanctuary to rare and endangered lion-tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus).

COMMITMENT TO GREEN ENERGY:

Care for the environment is paramount to BBTC. The company’s initiatives in generating non-conventional, environment-friendly energy sources such as wind mills, are an expression of this dedication. BBTC’s tea factories run on this eco-friendly energy. The company supplements this with other renewable fuel sources which possibly makes BBTC Teas as one of the ‘greenest teas’ available to the consumer.

FAIR TRADE:

The Bombay Burmah Trading corportation Limited, first obtained Fair Trade Certificate for the Singampatti group of Estates in 1995 under the name“Singampatti Foundation”. Later “Mudis Foundation”. was established in Mudis Group. Our Herkulu estate at Usambara Group, Tanzania was also certified by Fairtrade in the year 1997. In 1998, our estate at Dunsandle, Niligiris was brought under this label. We were keen to sell teas through the Fairtrade network so as to assist the workers in building community programmes and help in starting up self-help and sustainable projects.

The benefits of Fairtrade have helped in augmenting the funds available for workers’ welfare, to the money spent by the company, and the funds thus received are utilized in the following areas, by a joint Committee set up for the same.
a) Scholarships for all college-going children of our workers.
b) It is proposed to invest the Fairtrade funds in a Retirement fund for the benefit of our workers
c) Roofing sheets were provided to all workers at our Herkulu Estate in Tanzania for their own housing.
d) School books were distributed to the children of the villages surrounding our Herkulu Estate.
e) Dispensary was built for the villagers out of funds available from Fairtrade scheme.

Apart from the above a maize mill and Fairtrade shop has been set up using Fairtrade funds.

AFRICAN CONNECTION:

A decision was taken in 1954 to spread the Corporation’s tea interest to East Africa, and following a visit by an experienced planter, two areas in Tanganuila were considered suitable and negotiations for purchase were commenced. In January 1956, Herkulu Estate in the Western Usambara Mountains was purchased. a small factory has been in operation sicne October 1961, and teas are being sold at the London and Nairobi Markets.

Since 1989/90. the Herkulu Estate (230 Hectares) has been organically cultivated without application of chemcials and fertilizers. The estate is certitified organic according to EEC Regulations 2092/91 since February 1994 by the Institute of Marketecology, Switzerland.

The second estate of marvera is situated in the Eastern Usambara in Muheza District.

The development of these estates continue. The production in these estates for the period 1st April, 1997 to 31st March,1998 was 6.20 Lakhs Kgs. and resulted in a profit of Rs.56.13 Lakhs.

HERKULU ESTATE:

Herkulu Estate in the Western Usambara Mountains in Lushoto District of Tanga region in Tanzania is spread over 603 Ha, of which the 230 Ha is covered, with Tea, at an. elevation of 5000 ft above sea level, giving the Tea a distinctly unique flavour. Herkulu is situated in one of the last rainforests of Africa and has a veritable assortment of giant tree ferns and other species.

At the time of purchase, the Estate had sparse coffee and virgin jungles. The coffee was uprooted and some of the jungle cleared to plant Tea. The planting was completed 1967. The company took great care to preserve the ecological balance of the area by ensuring that each field has its own jungle belt. This apart from preserving the eco system, prevented soil erosion and helped greatly in isolating any pest attack.

Herkulu Estate is an undulating estate with the tea fields surrounded by Virgin Jungle and Eucalyptus Clearings planted by the estate. All the operations on the estate are carried out manually and no chemicals or artificial fertilizers are used. In order to ensure optimum nutritional input to the tea bushes, compost is produced at the estate using green matter collected from the estate and cow dung from the company’s Cattle herd. The milk produced on the estate is supplied to the employees on a ‘no profit no loss’ basis.

Herkulu Factory was commissioned in 1961 and currently has an annual capacity of 160,000 Kgs of Organic Tea. Herkulu Estate has been certified Organic since April 2002 by IMO of Switzerland.

Herkulu Estate is also certified under the Fairtrade scheme. The factory processes teas from green leaf purchased from the small holders in the villages surrounding the estate. All the privileges of the Fairtrade system are also extended to these small holders, who supply the green leaf.

The Fairtrade premiums received are distributed, based on the intake of green leaf from the small holders (village wise) and the estate. Each of the villages / small holders have their own independent committees, who decide on the usage of the funds thus received.

Over the years, these committees have invested the funds to built dispensaries, classrooms, housing for para-medical staff and teachers. The premiums have also been used utilized to procure roofing sheets for local school buildings

The premiums apportioned to Herkulu Estate has been used for distributing roofing sheets and cement to workers (as they do not live in the company provided accommodation), setting up of a Fairtrade shop where supplies are purchased at wholesale prices from the towns and sold to the workers on a ‘no-profit-no-loss’ basis.

The premiums have also been used to install a maize mill to grind maize, which is the staple diet

It must be noted that the company has invested its own funds to build the structures that house the Fairtrade shop and the maize mill. Further, the workers are issued supplies from the Fairtrade shop on credit and the cost recovered at the end of the month.

The current trenche of premiums have been used to buy sewing machines for all the estate workers which have been recently distributed