INDIAN JOURNAL OF EXTENSION EDUCATION 52 Perspectives of Small Scale Tea Growing System (Stgs) : A Study of North Bengalareas In India Avrajyoti Ghosh 1 , Litan Das 2 , P. K. Pal 3 , A. Sarkar 4 and M. S. Nain 5 ABSTRACT Tea cultivation in small individual holdings in a commercial mode is a recent phenomenon and started in Upper Assam during late seventies and early eighties. In West Bengal, history of small tea growing witnessed major change due to sudden drop of pineapple prices in northern part of the state converting erstwhile pineapple fields into tea during nineties. Having estate orientation, historically, tea is associated with prestige and dignities in the society. People from peasantry background feel an awe to be associated with it and it fulfills the gratification of rural youth to be regarded as the uplifted class. Gradually, based on comparative economic advantage, the traditional crop areas had been diverted to small tea growing sector. The present study was undertaken in Jalpaiguri and Uttar Dinajpur districts having around 80% of total small tea growers of the state during 2014-15. Study revealed that the maximum number of farmers resorted tea cultivation between 2005 to 2009 and neighbours were the main motivating actors in conversion. Pre-planned expenditure support to the family, best substitute for existing niggling farm enterprise, neighbour’s success, higher relative net profit and existence of good marketing channels for tea were some of the strongest reasons for resorting tea cultivation in North Bengal. Highest family education status, outside contact behaviour and media communication had significant positive correlation with the earliness of conversion to tea. So, small tea growing system can grab the rural educated youth into it and may be a promising enterprise for attracting rural youth in farm entrepreneurship. Keywords: Small Tea Growing System, North Bengal, Reasons, Tea Leaf Agents, Socio-economic Status. Indian Journal of Extension Education Vol. 53, No. 4, 2017 (52-56) INTRODUCTION India ranks largest consumer of global tea and second largest in production and export. Although, the history of tea cultivation in estate form started in India by the British long back in around 1837, but cultivating tea individually in small holding in a commercial mode is a recent phenomenon (Hannan, 2013). In North Eastern India, it was started in Upper Assam only during the late seventies and early eighties. A number of youth in the region initiated the process of cultivating tea in abandoned upland areas on a trial basis. The initial endeavor was highly successful and attracted others to enter in similar ventures. Blessed by relatively low cash capital required for investment, favourable climate, technical support from marginally surplus labourers from nearby big tea gardens and an assured market for green tea leaves turned this new effort into a huge success story (Baruah and Taparia, 2004; Mansingh and Johnson, 2012). History of small tea growing started from northern part of the west Bengal state converting erstwhile pineapple orchards into tea plantation due to sudden drop in price during the successive years of 1990 due to lack of processing factories, cold storages and problems of marketing. On the other hand the tea industry was prospering well and thereby emerged a demand pull for extension of plantation by corporate sector. The majority of the pineapple growers of these areas opted advantages of this situation and shifted their land from pineapple to tea plantations (Tea Board, 2011; Kadavil, 2012; Hannan, 2013). Afterwards, gradually, based on comparative economic advantage, the traditional crop areas had also been shifted to small tea growing sector in this zone as the rate of return of tea was attractive than the traditional crops. At present in northern part of West Bengal there are approximately 40,000 numbers of small tea growers in the said sector where almost 50,000 numbers of agricultural labours are engaged (ABP, 2014). From 1 Sr. Technical Officer, ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (Research Center). PO. Mohitnagar, Dist. Jalpaiguri, WB. India., 2 Assistant Professor (litandasiari@gmail.com), Dept. of Agril. Extension, UBKV. Cooch Behar. WB., 3 Professor (pkpalubkv@gmail.com), Dept. of Agril. Extension, UBKV, Cooch Behar. WB. India, 4 Professor, Dept. of Agril. Economics, UBKV, PO. Pundibari, Dist. Cooch Behar. WB. India, 5 Pr. Scientist (msnain@gmail.com), ICAR-IARI. New Delhi. India