Kohora(Assam), April 25: Premier bio-diversity conservation organisation, Aaranyak (www.aaranyak.org) organised a two-day training on handmade tea training and orientation programme for the Karbi women of villages under the Kohora river basin (KRB) and Diffloo river basin (DRB) of Karbi Anglong district of Assam.

Dr Rajkumar Gohain Baruah, a renowned tea expert, conducted the whole training processing that was organised at two venues at different villages, one in the Community Resource Center, KRB and Diring LP School, DRB.

“Sixteen participants, eight women in KRB and eight women in DRB participated in the tea training workshop. The participants learned the scientific process, starting from harvesting the tea leaves and processing methods involved. The tea training was emphasized on the process of making two types of hand-processed tea, Green tea and Orthodox tea,” Aaranyak’s senior official Dr Jayanta Kumar Sarma said.

The trainer Dr Gohain Baruah explained the entire steps and process involved in making and processing of both the Green tea and Orthodox tea. He also explained how to cultivate and manage their tea gardens organically, without using pesticides or any other chemical products, as it has more commercial value and health benefits. The participants were enthusiastic and excited to learn the various techniques involved in the process of making Green tea and Orthodox tea.

“I am very happy and excited to learn these new techniques of preparing Green and Orthodox tea, and hoping this will bring immense benefit to our community”, said one of the Participants, Sika Terangpi from Rongtara village.

“Aaranyak has been working with the local indigenous communities with the objective of improving and diversifying sustainable tea harvesting, processing and management through scientific techniques and methods,” said Aaranyak’s senior scientist Dr M Firoz Ahmed.

This training held on April 20-21, covered some important components and steps of processing the tea, like quality of the tea leaves required, withering, temperature, hand rolling process, oxidation, drying process and storage.

Dr M Firoz Ahmed and Jayanta Kumar Sarma from Aaranyak were also present in the entire training process to motivate the participants and increase their zeal towards tea farming, scientific management and processing techniques.

The training programme was coordinated by Aaranyak’s team comprising Sarlongjon Teron, Avinash Phangcho, Rangsina Phangcho, Joshna Terangpi and was organised with support from the IUCN-KfW sponsored Integrated Tiger and Habitat Conservation Programme.

Notably, a Karbi ethnic haat supported by Aaranyak, named Pirbi was recently opened by the national highway at Kohora in Kaziranga National Park, Assam. It has emerged as a new destination for those who are interested in diverse ethnic and organic products that include variety of handmade teas produced by Karbi tribe members that exhibit the quintessential Karbi characteristics.