Tea is an important cash crop of Himachal Pradesh, grown in an area of about 2300 hectares with a production of around 17 lakhs kg. Presently about 7700 hectares of additional land, suitable for tea cultivations, have been identified in non-traditional areas. The policy to give it a proper shape is under consideration. Most of the area proposed to be taken under tea cultivation consists of marginal sloping land. Tea cultivation may be ecologically adapted on sloping lands and to maintain the forestry system. This would ensure ecological stability of fragile mountain slopes as the necessity of maintaining a good forest cover of nitrogen fixing shade trees (Albizzia sp.) is met. Tea is a planter domesticated perennial high value cash crop. It generates employment for minimum of 100-150 days per hectare per annum. As far as GDP of our country is concerned, contribution of tea is significant in terms of foreign exchange ranging from Rs. 1600 crore to Rs. 1800 crore annually. Tea is also an importanthealth drink which is evident from its anticarcinogenic, antihypertensive and antiviral properties in its flavanoids. Apart that, doctors recommend the person recovering from long illness to stay around tea plantations area for 1 to 2 months.
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