Berinag Tea—once a prized name from the Kumaon Himalaya—is witnessing a notable revival almost six decades after the brand faded following the decline of estate-led production after 1964. Long valued for its distinctive taste and aroma, it was historically associated with markets in London, Kolkata and China, and is now being rebuilt through cooperative-driven cultivation and renewed consumer interest.
A storied past in the Kumaon Himalaya
Tea cultivation in the Berinag–Chaukori belt of today’s Pithoragarh district is linked to the colonial-era expansion of tea in the hills. Berinag tea was remembered for its light taste and colour, and older accounts also describe its “brick tea” form—compressed tea that was popular in Tibet and sometimes passed off as Chinese tea by traders.
A key phase in Berinag Tea’s commercial story is associated with Thakur Dan Singh Bisht, who ran tea interests in the region until his death in 1964. After that, the business declined amid fragmentation and encroachment, and the brand largely disappeared from mainstream circulation.
Revival through cooperative action
The modern comeback is strongly tied to local farmer-led expansion in Nayal village and nearby areas. According to reporting from 2021, the effort gained traction when Vinod Karki began planting tea saplings in 2011 on previously unused land, later working with other growers to expand cultivation. In 2018, farmers constituted the Parvatiya Chai Utpadan Swayatt Sahakarita Samiti after engaging with the Tea Board of India, and secured a licence for tea processing—enabling a cooperative manufacturing unit and packaged sales.
Production volumes cited in reports run into thousands of kilograms (not merely “hundreds”), underscoring that this is now a meaningful micro-industry for the area.
Financial support has also been reported via bank assistance under MSME-linked schemes, helping the cooperative move from cultivation to processing and market launch.
Product profile and community impact
Current production is marketed largely around orthodox styles—reports specifically mention black orthodox and green orthodox categories, alongside other grades.
Challenges remain: the revival depends on smallholder participation, processing capacity, logistics from remote terrain, and stable market access. Yet for villages in the Berinag block, the tea’s return is already framed as more than a product story—supporting local livelihoods and creating a pride-and-place brand rooted in Kumaon’s Himalayan identity.
By – Sonali