High hopes on Nilgiris tea extract

Taking value addition from tea leaves to the next level and to help small tea growers in The Nilgiris reap better returns, Coonoor based INDCOSERVE the apex body of the Industrial Cooperative (INDCO) Tea Factories has joined hands with Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (CSIR-IHBT) to extract Catechins from tea leaves. A MoU in this connection was inked between them on June 30. 

“It will be a pilot project in South India. It would take about six months to procure machinery and to begin production around January 2018. We aim at a production of one metric tonne a day. We expect annual production to be around 250 to 300 metric tonnes per year,” said a senior official in the Ministry of Industries and Commerce, TN.

The ministry considered introducing value addition in tea and taking the industry to the next level in a seminar organised at Coonoor about a year ago. “Since then we were trying to identify renowned organisations that are into research and development in this area and identified Palampur (Himachal Pradesh) based CSIR-IHBT. They are into research in tea cultivation and production,” he said. 

He added that a study was conducted on the possibility and feasibility of extracting Catechins from tea leaves grown in The Nilgiris. “The results were positive and we have inked a license agreement, according to which IHBT will be involved in the entire technology process from giving specifications for floating the tender to procure machinery to finalising them and for production,” he said. 

Catechins are in high demand in the international markets due to its multiple health benefits, especially because as it is very good for the heart. Stating that its price in the international market is around Rs. 12,000-15,000 per kg, he pointed out that this makes it seven to nine times more beneficial compared to tea. Around 4 -50 kg fresh tea leaves is required to extract one kilo of Catechins. This would turn out to be beneficial to tea producers. He added that the global market for tea Catechins is $ 200 mn with estimated Compound Annual Growth Rate of 7.4 pc till 2020. 

Joint Director (Tea) in-charge of INDCOSERVE, Coonoor, C. Ashokan said INDCOSERVE that has 16 cooperative tea factories, is benefiting 25,115 small tea growers owning 36,327 acres under tea leaves cultivation. The apex body is aimed at helping improve their socio-economic conditions by making use of conventional tea processing methods. This has adversely affected farmers due to unprecedented market fluctuations.