Indian police clashed Tuesday with 10,000 angry tea workers in the northeastern state of Assam, amid protests over plunging tea prices.
The clashes occurred in several tea-growing districts where the protestors were attempting to block traffic on national highways, a police spokesman said.
The action was called by the 25,000-member All Assam Small Tea Growers Association (AASTGA) to protest against an abrupt cut in the price of unprocessed green leaves by big tea companies.
"The green tea leaves produced by small tea growers in Assam were sold to big companies at an average price of 10 rupees (25 US cents) a kilogram," said association secretary Purno Bora.
"But two weeks ago, some the tea majors decided to reduce the price by more than 50 per cent, resulting in heavy losses to the small planters," Bora said.
The price cut prompted the small planters to dump their leaves on the state highways rather then sell them at throwaway prices.
A state government spokesman said the chief minister of Assam had convened a meeting of tea growers for next week to discuss the issue.
Assam, which is home to some 800 tea gardens, accounts for 55 percent of India's annual tea production of 865,000 tons -- GUWAHATI, India (AFP)
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