Assam brings small tea growers under Farmers' Registry Portal

Small tea growers in Assam will now be able to register on the Farmers' Registry Portal and obtain Farmer IDs, enabling them to access government welfare schemes, agricultural services and institutional credit through a single platform.

Announcing the decision, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said tea and plantation-class land holdings have been included in the Farmers' Registry Portal, marking what he described as a significant step for the State's tea-growing community.

The move will allow small tea growers to avail benefits offered by the Agriculture Department while the tea sector continues to remain under the Industry Department.

According to the Chief Minister, Farmer IDs will facilitate timely access to fertilisers, government schemes, easier institutional credit and other agricultural services. He also said the initiative would help reduce the role of middlemen in the sector.

Agriculture Minister Pijush Hazarika said the decision would benefit Assam's small tea growers, who now account for nearly half of the State's tea production.

He said the inclusion of tea and plantation-class land in the registry would enable eligible growers to receive Farmer IDs and access government support. The government's focus, he added, would be to ensure that all eligible small tea growers are integrated into the digital platform.

According to Tea Board India, Assam had 1,33,864 small tea growers cultivating 1,26,107.64 hectares of tea plantations as of March 31, 2025.