Megh Bahadur Bista is a farmer turned producer. He was a simple tea leaf picking farmer in his own garden. He used to sell tea leaves to big factories and buyers. Eventually, he started producing his own hand-crafted teas and sold them in the local market. The sales and demand for his hand-crafted tea leaves encouraged and motivated him. But he knew his cottage industry production supply would not meet the demand. Therefore in 2013, with sourcing extra tea leaves from his cousins and neighbors, he started a small business which is now Laligurans Chiya Prasodhan Udhyog. It is nested 35 kilometers North/West from Ilam bazar.
LaliGurash Chiya Prasodhan Udhyog
Rhododendron Arboreum, is a rare kind, only grown in the hills of Eastern Nepal, and is also a national flower of Nepal. Thus, the name of this tea producer is derived.
MEGH BAHADUR BISTA AND HIS WIFE
With the technical guidance and training sessions from the Speciality Tea Association of Nepal (STAN), Megh Bahadur bought a small machine and started producing 200 kgs of Green and Black teas per day. But that was not enough! In 2016, a Denmark based aggro project name UNNATI came as a gift. With the help of UNNATI and STAN, this small cottage industry’s destiny changed. Additional machines and special training were provided, production and sales increased drastically. A light of hope sparked. A journey of a farmer is not easy but Megh always has a smile on his face.
Megh is thankful for STAN and UNNATI. STAN is by now responsible for marketing and selling ninety-five percent of the production.