MEETINGS AND SPECIAL EVENTS
For information about upcoming meetings, contact Gen. Secretary Bijit Basumatary, mobile no. 94351 28562
A few images taken at OSTGANE's networking event held in February 2015 at Pabhoi Greens, Assam
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In February 2015, OSTGANE organized an exciting two-day networking and training event for small tea growers involved in organic tea cultivation and production.  It was hosted by Neelam Dutta (standing, far right) founder and director of Pabhoi Greens, a training centre and agricultural and fisheries consultancy located near Biswanath Charali, Assam.  The event attracted organic growers from Nagaland, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Assam and Bhutan.
Slide show below:  One of the topics discussed was the need for affordable, small-scale burners and dryers.  Kel Kelly and Peggy Carswell from the small tea cooperative and Fertile Ground:  East/West Sustainability Network, demonstrated the use of an efficient multi-fuel burner and simple tray dryer manufactured by Dulav Gogoi, a metal fabricator from Tingkong area.   A prototype unit was manufactured and tested in Black Creek, BC Canada by Kel and Tom Benson.  

In June, 2014, OSTGANE Co-Chair, Dhiren Phukan, hosted a meeting of the Organic Small Tea Growers Association at Dhuwapathar Village in Dibrugarh District, Assam.


Issues discussed at the meeting included the need for:
  • Training Workshops on Organic Tea Cultivation to be presented to STG's in all north east states.  Sessions are being planned for Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Nagaland.  
  • Organic Awareness Camps to create awareness and provide guidance - primarily to the upcoming generation and growers.  The Association will form a group comprised of members from all North Eastern states and from different backgrounds including farmers, students, teachers and volunteers
  • Support from the Gov't of India to establish a demonstration and training centre and at least 1 merchandise store in each NE state - as well as to assist growers requiring organic certification for their teas..
Kel Kelly from Fertile Ground, Canada, helped facilitate discussion amongst small tea growers at a meeting held at the Guwahati office of Tea Board of India in February 2014.
Grower Tenzing Bodosa from Dimakuchi Village, Assam, shared information about his small-scale dryer and processing unit with growers attending a meeting in Dibrugarh in March 2014.