The history of Nepalese tea begun with the first tea plantation in Illam tea estate during the reign of Junga Bahadur Rana in 1920 B.S ( 1963 A.D.) by Gajraj singh Thapa who brought seeds of tea from China as gift .The Tea plantation gradually explored in various districts of Nepal at small scale farmers level since 2028 B.S.( 1971 A.D.).The five districts of Eastern Development Regions viz. Illam,Jhapa ,Panchthar,Tehrathum and Dhankuta were declared as "Tea Zones " of Nepal by his majesty late King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev in 2039 B.S.( 1982 A.D.), after which the number of tea farmers involvement was tremendously increased which resulted in the establishment of tea farmers groups and cooperatives. Similarly, Nepal Government declared the first tea policy in 2057 B.S. after which there was rise in number of farmers, tea farmers groups ,cooperatives and tea cooperatives processing factories.
To assist the different primary tea cooperatives in respect of economy, social ,educational ,cultural and business development ,the first meeting took place in the year 2066.02.24 ( June 7,2009) in collaboration of District Tea cooperative Federation and other primary tea cooperatives. After the second meeting that took place in Illam, Central Tea cooperative Federation (CTCF) was established and registered in 2010, September 16th under cooperative department of Nepal Agriculture and Ministry of cooperative with registration number -18/067/068, to work as an umbrella organization for all the tea cooperatives of Nepal. Recently, there are one hundred and one tea cooperatives, five district tea cooperative federations 7500 house hold members, eighteen thousand farmers involved in tea farming, more than eighty thousand people are employed in this sector. CTCF is organizing various programs at grassroots, farmers , cooperatives, district, state(provincial) and national level in cooperation with Locals, states and federal government, National Tea and Coffee development Board, National Cooperative Federation, National Cooperative Bank, various I/NGOs, Asian Farmer association for sustainable Rural development(AFA) ,World Green Tea Association, ILO country office for Nepal , TEASEC Nepal, SNV/Nepal, Agriterra Netherlands, SIMEN Project, UNNATI projects ,MAAS International ,International Trade Centre (ITC), Fondation de France (FDF), commercial banks and financial institutions, different industries and companies to make them more sustainable in both farming and business case resulting in entrepreneurship development with promoting responsible business practices.
Cooperatives have a very good contribution to change the socio-economic status of the society. Constitution of Nepal also emphasis and place cooperatives as an important means of socio-economic development and declared that the three pillar of economy are Private, Cooperative and Government. Accordingly, the National Planning Commission of Nepal also place cooperatives through the periodic plan, in priority in terms of local level development and achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs). Nepal Government and Ministry of Cooperative and Poverty Alleviation (MoCPA) through the New Cooperative Act 2017 priorities cooperatives for inclusive development . In this national scenarios, CTCF has set the vision “Sustainable Tea Cooperative, Prosperous Farmers" and made strategies to increase the cooperative participation and contribution to achieve 2030 agendas of sustainable development goals .
Cooperation between tea farmers of cooperatives and their together effort as well as hard work for overcoming the challenges contribute on achieving targeted goals creating beautiful reflection on their face. Small Tea farmers are as owners from diverse group like, indigenous people, ethnic group, rural women, Dalit community, etc. without discrimination representing group team work and increasing the happy index of area, social harmony they live in. About 80% of rural women are empowered as they are engaged in cooperative. Quality product is produced on favorable condition with sustainable relationship with nature and benefit gained by that product impact equally to each and every actor of that value chain/origin with satisfaction. The tea cooperative product that you consume is not only the product but it is the dream of rural tea farmers prepared ensuing Corporate Social Responsible (CSR) and Responsible Business & Fair Trade Business Practices. This build SMILE not only on the face of producer but consumer too. We can say healthy relationship between enthusiasms of consumer along with accomplishment of tea farmers as producer creates SMILE on related faces. Thus, wonderful smile is created through "Sustainable tea cooperatives, Prosperous farmers" and COOPERATIVES SMILE.
Vision:
Sustainable Tea Cooperatives, Prosperous Farmers
Mission:
CTCF lobby and advocacy to enable and enable it's Member Tea Cooperatives by providing support services, marketing to run their professional businesses in organic tea farming an environmental friendly way.
Goal:
To provide quality services to member cooperatives, develop skilled human resources and develop organizational capacities of member cooperatives by 2025.
Key goals:
- Goal-1: Professional and strengthen institutional capacities of tea cooperatives in Nepal
- Goal- 2: Intensified representation and lobby and advocacy
- Goal-3: Improve skill for quality tea production and cooperative enterprise
- Goal-4: Improved cooperative tea marketing
- Goal -5: Sustainability of CTCF and its member cooperatives
Objectives:
- 70% cooperatives professionally engaged in cooperative tea enterprise and one forth member cooperative conduct profitable business by the end of 2025.
- 40 cooperatives engage in improved production practices (Organic/RFA certification), processing and marketing and 15% of price will increased through better quality and linkage by the end of 2025
- Lobby and advocacy for tax exemption, cooperative industry and brand registration, quality certification, subsidy on organic inputs, soft loan, and change in National Tea Policy by making representation on Tea Board by the end of 2025.
- Develop 300 assistant tea technician in tea sector and develop processing & marketing technicians by the end of 2025
- Develop own 15 cooperative enterprise related human resources (marketing, financial management, cooperative enterprises, business plan, leadership) by the end of 2025
- Increase domestic and international tea cooperative's market by 50% by the end of 2025
- Increase internal resources of CTCF and members to cover all core cost and to conduct basic activities by the end of 2025
Core Values of CTCF:
CTCF beliefs in:
- International Cooperative Principles, Cooperative norms and values
- Expanding influential harmony and strong networking with national and international organizations
- Social transformation and environmental balance.
- Tea farmers' rights and integration.
- Equal treatment to all members and creation of employment in a professional way.
- Make priority for sustainability and GRID (Green, Resilient and Inclusive Development) in all activities.
Target Groups and Priority Areas
Target groups of CTCF are around eighteen thousand small tea farmers and cooperatives who are situated in rural areas of Nepal. The Federation will affiliate all these small tea farmers to organize in one umbrella and run their organic tea farming that will assist in social change, economic upgrade, cultural transformation and creating a sustainable environment for its member cooperatives. CTCF gives priority to sustainability in its activities. CTCF Nepal also adopt GRID (Green, Resilient and inclusive development) concept while designing and implementing its program.
The Federation as an umbrella organization will assist in institutional development of cooperatives, increase in production, technology transfer, access marketing, cooperation and networking. In addition to this, it will also have dialogue, interaction with the state and relevant agencies to make policy changes and reform in acts/legislation for the benefit of tea cooperatives and farmers involved in organic tea farming.
Working Approaches and Strategies
The Central Tea Cooperative Federation (CTCF) will adhere to the following approaches and strategies to implement its support services and activities.
- The federation will implement its activities by following and incorporating the state law, cooperative act and its policies, international cooperative norms, the bylaws and rules of CTCF.
- For the betterment of the federation and its member organizations, it will carry out activities with cooperation and networking with Governmental officials, NGOs, INGOs, developments partners and donors.
- Program will be organized for small tea farmers through the support and direct involvement of District Tea Cooperative Federations and member cooperatives.
- The federation will make all efforts to develop member organizations, internal sources and resource mobilization.
- This strategy paper will be implemented and evaluated each year.
Functions
The functions of the federation are as follows by abiding prevailing Act, Rules, Directives to obtain objectives.
(1) Production, refining, marketing of green leaf tea.
- To do publicize of cooperative program through pupate, poster to promote towards professional production system to organization
- To promote and conserve the tea organization in central, regional, district and village level.
- To create employment opportunity by establishing and conduction small, medium and large tea industries.
- To arrange production collection, transportation, storage, quality checking, refining and packing of members.
- To arrange pesticide and consultancy services regarding agriculture to member organization.
- To do promotional works for development of tea tourism.
- To help in certification to do promotional works to adopt organic tea farming method to keep balance in natural environment and to produce tea as per international tea demand from tea farming.
- To mobilize by obtaining loan and grant from other organization or authority.
- To help to establish tea research Centre, Nepalese tea brand and tea market.
- To arrange to produce expert technicians in tea area in coordination with different authority.
(2) Empowerment works
- To arrange training of various sector productions, refining, market management as well as skill, technical and management.
- To conduct awareness program relating to community health and clean, environment protection, landside and tree plantation.
- To promote community interest by providing opportunity of various symposium, seminar and training, study and observation tour to members.
- To provide training regarding cooperative account system, cooperative business promotion cooperative management, marketing and leadership development.
- To arrange training awareness, symposium, seminar, study, observation tour, pamphlet, poster regarding tea tourism business.
(3) Social works
- To do financial and other help as per the capacity of federation at the time of natural disaster, flood, landslide, earthquake etc. within the working jurisdiction
- To assist for maintaining natural and bio diversity to use by publicizing regarding toiler arrangement , alternative energy (bio gas, solar) and free smoking oven for environment clean and protection by managing nit to do any type of adverse impact in environment.
- To provide report including suggestion by monitoring and supervision regularly to registrar or authorized person conferred by him/her to improve in activities of federation and organization member.
- To do necessary work by coordinating subjective cooperative organization.
(4) Lobby and advocacy works
- To identify the problems, relevant issues of tea farmers and cooperatives and lobby and advocacy with related stakeholders and the government for the solution .
- To provide suggestion, advice and feedback to government for preparing tea policy, cooperative policy, act and regulation and support to implementation.
- To lobby and advocacy with the government and related sectors to change according to situation for implemented unclear policy, rules and regulations, programs.