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The tea garden in Majuli 

Majuli, May 8: In the picturesque region of Majuli, two brothers have embarked on an inspiring journey of innovation by launching the island's inaugural registered tea garden.

Dulal Saikia and Tilak Saikia are the visionaries behind the ‘Chenimai Tea Garden,’ which stands as a beacon of hope in an area where many previously thought that tea cultivation was unfeasible due to the sandy soil deposited by the Brahmaputra River.

What started as a mere experiment has blossomed into a successful agricultural enterprise, producing tea leaves and motivating local youth to seek opportunities within their own community rather than migrating elsewhere for employment.

Situated in the tranquil surroundings of Majuli, the tea garden was established following soil tests conducted at Assam Agricultural University in Jorhat, which revealed that the clay-rich soil of Majuli was indeed suitable for tea cultivation.

Inspired by these findings and a relative's encouragement, the brothers planted their initial tea saplings on September 27, 2021, coinciding with World Tourism Day, with the aim of linking Majuli's tourism potential to sustainable agricultural practices.

“This is the first tea garden in Majuli. We initiated this project in 2020 by planting seeds and saplings, nurturing them diligently. We officially established the tea garden on World Tourism Day in 2021, and by 2025, it was registered by the Tea Board of India as the first tea garden in Majuli,” shared Dulal Saikia.

“Initially, many doubted the feasibility of tea cultivation in Majuli due to its sandy soil. However, we experimented and demonstrated that it was indeed possible. We hope our endeavor inspires local farmers and youth to cultivate their land and achieve self-sufficiency,” he added.

Despite facing numerous challenges, including the lack of tea processing facilities in Majuli, insufficient trained labor, and limited technical support, the brothers persevered and successfully transformed nearly one bigha of land into a flourishing tea plantation.

Currently, the Chenimai Tea Garden is in full production mode, with fresh tea leaves being harvested weekly and dispatched to a tea factory in Habung Dhemaji for processing.

“We are cultivating tea on approximately one bigha of land. Once the bushes reach maturity, this area can yield around 80 to 90 kilograms of leaves. We harvest leaves four times a month, with our highest collection so far being around 66 kilograms,” Saikia explained.

Initially, the garden supplied tea leaves to a factory in Maskhowa, but this year, the produce is being sent to the Habung tea factory.

The brothers are now looking to expand their plantation to over three bighas and have already begun laying the groundwork for this expansion.