Career Options in Tea Industry

What are the various job profiles in the industry that I can choose from?

There are various job profiles that you can look into that are there in the industry. If you have experience then you can move into tea brokerage or tea tasting or take up a job in a tea
broking house. There are 5 major profiles that are explained below; they are plantation/factory managers, tea taster, researcher, tea broker and consultants:

1.Plantation / Factory Managers
Tea gardens are controlled by Managers who have junior assistants and Assistant Managers, depending on the size and requirement of the garden, to assist them in the smooth
functioning of the tea estate. Their work involves supervision of all plantation work involved from planting to plucking, processing to packing and transport of tea to auction houses. The
Indian Institute of Plantation Management, Bangalore offers a training programme on the relevant subject under the Indian Commodity economy.

2.Tea Taster
Tea tasting is a highly specialised area. Tea tasters differentiate between the various flavours of tea and help to brand the varieties according to quality. Most tea companies employ tea
tasters for ensuring quality standards, and preparing blends. Tea tasting is typically learnt on the job. Tea tasters have to develop the expertise to distinguish between the taste and
aroma of different teas. Tea tasters need to develop managerial as well as marketing skills. The drawbacks can be damage to your digestive system especially at the peak season when
you may have to taste as many as 200-300 cups of tea a day and result in stains on your teeth which has to be removed periodically.

Tasters are recruited by manufacturing companies, brokers as well as buyers. In a manufacturing company, the taster detects defects in the production process by looking at the colour and size of the leaves to determine if they have been fermented or dried under fire and sends them back to the factory to rectify if needed. They also have to coordinate with gardens,
look after import and exports, advice researchers on commercial factors like taste, economic viability and durability of tea etc. In the broker's office, the taster plays an advisory role and
informs manufacturers about market trends. In buying houses besides ensuring quality, tasters have to know what's happening in both the domestic and international markets. Many
youngsters opt for this profession because of the out-of-the-ordinary nature of the work and the high pay.

3.Researcher
Research is an integral part of the industry. Much research is conducted by botanists, biotechnologists and other scientists, who study methods of producing disease-resistant, high yielding varieties of tea, as also strains that produce leaves that are natural blends of various teas. They receive advice from tea tasters on commercial factors like taste, economic
viability and durability of tea. The Tea Research Association at Jorhat (Assam) is a premier organisation where pioneering work is being done in the field of research. The research
associations as well as Tea plantation owners employ researchers.

4.Tea Brokers
Tea brokers act as intermediaries between the planter-producer and the buyer, and must be up-to-date with market trends and international prices. A background in tea industry and
developing a keen tea tasting ability are important requisites in becoming a broker. At the auction centres, the tea samples are listed and evaluated by tea brokers. There are broking
houses in the country where the brokers test the various samples of tea, which come from the different tea gardens. Those planning to become brokers should be level headed and
disciplined and be able to strike a good rapport with producers and buyers.

5.Consultants
The tea board of India and various tea associations employ consultants. Experienced tea planters can take up consultancy services proffering advice on the varieties of tea to be planted, new varieties and their sources, recruitment and training of personnel, compensation, benefits and incentives to labour and so on.