A tea estate manager is a one-point contact for everyone involved with a tea garden. Staying in the tea garden, he has to look after each and everything taking place there. With the help of junior assistants and assistant managers, depending on the requirement of the g arden, he has to supervise plantation work, from planting to plucking, processing to packing and transport of tea to auction houses. A tea garden manager is a person wholly and solely responsible for running a tea estate. His area of activity encompasses production management, tea husbandry involving plant physiology, entomology, industrial relations, labour management and liaison with various government departments. He even has to oversee purchase of materials, do financial management, cost management, collective bargaining with unions, factory management, etc.
Clockwork
6am: Wake up
9am: Reach office
10am: Check the day’s worklist. Take a round of the garden
11am: Sort out issues of the day
Noon: Meetings with vendors, staff, authorities follow
1.30pm: Lunch 2.30pm: Take a round of the garden, interact with labourers and staff there. Also solve issues related to labour
3pm: Check the processing unit for any flaws
4pm: Prepare next day’s to-do list
5:30pm: Leave for home
The payoff
Assistant manager: Rs 3.5 lakh a year
Senior assistant manager: Rs 7 lakh a year
Deputy manager: R8 lakh to Rs 9 lakh a year
Manager: Depending on many factors it can be Rs 12 lakh to Rs 15 lakh a year
GM: Salary depends on skills and experience
Skills/TRAITS
Knowledge of the tea market
Knowledge of labour laws
Ability to communicate with labourers and workers
Have sound leadership qualities
Presence of mind, quick thinking, courage to face and settle labour disputes
Fair knowledge of the topography of tea estates
Getting there
One can get into a tea estate after graduation and pick up skills while working in a tea garden. However, these days, a degree in agricultural science or a BSc in botany, food sciences, horticulture or allied fields is preferred. Candidates who have specialised in business management or marketing are recruited for marketing jobs. Then there are many institutes that give training in tea management. There, one can learn about tea production, processing, finance, marketing and sales.