Temi Tea Garden

The Temi Tea Garden in Ravangla, established in 1969 by the Government of Sikkim, is located in South Sikkim in the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim. It is the only tea garden in Sikkim and considered one of the best in India and in the world. Top quality tea is produced, which is in demand in the international market. The garden is laid over a gradually sloping hill. The tea produced in this garden is also partly marketed under the trade name “Temi Tea”.The guidelines issued by the Institute of Marketology (IMO) of Switzerland to produce organic tea have been adopted in the Temi Tea Garden; a project initiated in April 2005 and nearing completion. In growing organic tea, agro-chemicals are avoided by the tea estates that results in low production costs. Many European countries and Japan have shown preference for tea produced by adopting organic manuring method.EstateThe Temi Tea estate was established in 1969 covering an area of 177ha. The lie of the land shows gentle slopes that originate from the Tendong hill range. The ground conditions indicate loamy soils with slope of 30–50%. The ground surface is subject to moderate erosion and is spread with reasonable degree of stones.The garden has 406 workers supported by a staff of 43. Its annual tea production is on an average about 100 tonnes. The estate functions under a Tea Board set up by the Government of Sikkim and under its aegis the ‘Sang-Martam Tea Growers' Cooperative Society’ has been established to promote growing of different varieties of quality tea.”Before the estate was created, the land was a Sherpa Village with around 10 acres of nurseries of the Forest Department around the Missionary Building which became the office cum residence of Divisional Forest Officer (South & West Division). During the British rule this site was a landmark for Scottish missionary buildings in the early 1900s, the buildings were acquired by the Government of Sikkim in 1954.