Description
Established in the year 1969 by the Government of Sikkim, Temi tea plants are growing along the steep slopes of the hills emerging from the Tendong Hills; ranging from 120o to 1800 m. The 177 hectare spread gardens of Temi produce the premium quality tea leafs having international demand. The way to the processing plant, enroute Tendong Hill, is marked with well-trimmed cherry blossom trees amidst the fields lush with ferns and grazing grasses. Once you reach the garden, the rewarding views of Khangchendzonga tampered in snow mesmerizes the tourists completely and leaves them in the state of awe. Temi Tea Estate is the only tea garden existing in Sikkim producing about 1 Lakh kg of tea every year, that too using the organic method as per the guidelines of the Institute of Marketecology (IMO) of Switzerland.
Tea production in this estate has been switched over from conventional method to 'Organic Method' according to the guidelines of the Institute of Marketecology (IMO) of Switzerland. This conversion initiated in 2005 is reported to have been completed. The change over has involved use of organic bio-fertilisers such as cattle manure, neem cakes and vermi-composte manure replacing the chemical fertilisers used in the past. The Bangalore unit of IMO inspects the product every year and issues IMO certificate. The Manager of the Temi Tea estate expects that as soon as the IMO declares the estate as an "organic garden", the "products will fetch higher prices in the market" and that "Temi tea, produced in four grades, (would) find ready markets in European markets and Japan". The Tea Board has already started exporting to Canada and Japan in small quantities (100 kilograms (220 lb) of bulk tea at Rs 2500 per kg) at attractive prices.[9]