Five automatic weather stations have been inaugurated in the Nilgiri villages of Thummanatti and Kadakodu by the Tea Board of India. The stations are intended to provide small tea growers with localized weather data to aid in managing yields, quality, and the control of diseases and pests.
The installations form part of the Tea Board’s technological intervention scheme, which selected two Farmers’ Producers Organisations for the project. Implementation was carried out jointly with Agri Foretell and Havukal Tea Factory during March 2026, according to a Board press release.
A review meeting was convened in Thummanatti under the leadership of C. Murugan, Deputy Chairman of the Tea Board. Representatives of the Mupathu Mukkodi Devathi Devargal Small Tea Growers’ Association and the Hari Om Small Tea Growers’ Association discussed their experiences and practical challenges. Murugan also inspected one of the automatic weather stations situated in a small grower’s field.
During the meeting, Murugan emphasized that small growers should move beyond supplying green tea leaves. He encouraged them to establish mini tea factories, obtain the Tea Board’s “Tea Mark” certification, and market their products directly through the Board’s authorised online platform, teamarketplace.in.
The session was attended by Bharani Kumaar, Executive Director of the Tea Board’s South Zonal Office in Coonoor, S. Soundararajan, Director of Tea Development in Kolkata, officials from the Board, and representatives of Havukal Tea Factory, Agri Foretell Group, and the beneficiary growers.
