He also demands that the stalled tea sales and exports be opened through high-level diplomatic initiatives through the Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Ministry of Agriculture, and the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi.
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Ilam MP Suhang Nembang has demanded the government to immediately resolve the obstacles in the sale and distribution of Nepali tea in the Indian market.
Tea manufacturers in Suryodaya Municipality of Ilam have announced to close their factories from Asad 1 in protest against the obstacles imposed by the Indian Tea Board on Nepali tea exports. The decision to close the factories was taken by 53 tea factories in the Suryodaya area of Ilam, saying that they were unable to sell the tea they produced, that their warehouses were full, and that it was difficult to pay the price of green leaves purchased from farmers. Nembang said that such a situation is extremely worrying. According to the manufacturers, the market has come to a standstill as vehicles carrying Nepali tea to Kolkata have been stopped for weeks due to the new standards implemented by the Indian Tea Board. More than 300,000 kg of Nepali tea that has already reached the Indian market has been stopped in the name of quality testing, while more than 700,000 kg of ready-made tea is in stock in the industries.
According to Nembang, 2,995 farmers are involved in tea cultivation in Suryodaya Municipality alone.
They have also demanded high-level diplomatic initiatives through the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Nepali Embassy in New Delhi to open the sale and export of the stopped tea. He also stressed the need for early testing of the stopped consignments, a system for India to recognize Nepal's laboratory certificates, and concessional working capital for the affected industries and payment to farmers.
'Tea leaves do not wait for administrative procedures and diplomatic correspondence,' Nembang said on social media, expressing his opinion. 'Today's delay puts the farmers' year-round labor, industry investment, and the employment of thousands of workers at risk.' Therefore, immediate, result-oriented and time-bound intervention from the government is necessary.'
Stating that they are clear that Nepali tea should be exported by meeting international quality, food safety and residue standards, he said that the quality testing process should be transparent, predictable and time-bound. He is of the opinion that testing should be a means of securing the market but should not become a means of disrupting trade.
'Although the amended provisions of the Tea Board of India dated May 19, 2026, stipulate that laboratory reports should be provided within five days, in practice, reports are not received for weeks, sales are stopped and tea is left in warehouses,' he said.
When the market is disrupted, farmers' income, family daily life and future are in danger, says Nembang. 'When the market is disrupted, not only the income of farmers is stopped, but their entire life cycle is in danger,' he said.
He said that the crisis seen in the tea industry should be considered not only a local problem of Ilam but also a serious issue related to national production, exports, employment and the overall economy. "The closure of industries will lead to a decrease in farmers' income, loss of jobs, risk to investments, and a direct impact on foreign exchange earnings," Nembang said.
