Guwahati, June 27: Small tea growers in Assam will now be able to register on the Farmers’ Registry Portal and obtain Farmer IDs, allowing them access to government welfare schemes, agricultural services and institutional credit through a single digital platform.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the decision, stating that tea and plantation-class land holdings have been included in the Farmers’ Registry Portal. He described the move as a significant step towards strengthening support for the State’s small tea-growing community.
With this inclusion, small tea growers will be eligible to avail benefits under the Agriculture Department, while the tea sector will continue to fall under the administrative control of the Industry Department.
According to the Chief Minister, the Farmer ID system will enable timely access to fertilisers, government schemes, institutional credit and other agricultural services. He also noted that the initiative is expected to reduce dependence on middlemen in the sector and improve efficiency in service delivery.
Agriculture Minister Pijush Hazarika said the decision would particularly benefit small tea growers, who now contribute nearly half of Assam’s total tea production. He added that integrating tea and plantation-class land into the registry would ensure that eligible growers can be brought under government support systems.
The government has emphasised that efforts will be made to ensure all eligible small tea growers are enrolled on the digital platform to maximise coverage and benefits.
According to Tea Board India data, Assam had 1,33,864 small tea growers cultivating 1,26,107.64 hectares of tea plantations as of March 31, 2025.
