Guwahati, July 27 -- The North East Confederation Small Tea Growers' Association (NECSTGA) has urged the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to urgently review its 2024 directive on mandatory pesticide testing in tea, warning that the current compliance requirements could threaten the livelihoods of nearly 1.5 lakh small tea growers across Assam.

In a letter addressed to the Chief Executive Officer of FSSAI at FDA Bhawan, Kotla Road, New Delhi, NECSTGA president Diganta Phukan and secretary general Binod Buragohain said the issue had "created serious concern among tea growers across the state" and sought the regulator's "urgent intervention."

The association said its members produce green tea leaves that are sold primar...