Patna: A women-run tea processing and packaging unit in Kishanganj has set a target of producing 1,000 tonnes of tea this year after selling over 1 lakh kg from last season’s output of 1.5 lakh kg.The unit, operated by Mahananda JEEViKA Women Agro Producer Company Limited in Pothia block, engages 45 women who process tea leaves sourced from local farmers. Officials said the enterprise has created direct employment, with monthly salaries ranging between Rs 10,000 and Rs 40,000.With demand for its tea rising steadily in recent years, the unit has scaled up production targets for the current season. The initiative has also strengthened market linkages for local tea growers while providing a steady income source to women involved in processing and packaging.The tea factory was set up by the state govt in 2010 at Kalidas Kismat village in Kusiyari panchayat on nearly 10 acres, at a cost of over Rs 9 crore. The project was launched under a special scheme sanctioned to the district rural development agency, Kishanganj, under the Swarn Jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana.Initially meant to be run by an association of tea growers and leaf pluckers, the facility later came under the management of women linked to JEEViKA self-help groups. The producer company was formed on June 14, 2021, with 10 promoter members, all associated with JEEViKA.
