Editorial

Abstract

With this issue, the publication of the first volume of the International Journal of Tea Science has been completed. The journey that was expected to be covered in one year, has taken two to complete. Metaphorically speaking, the International Society of Tea Science took a Slow train to Timbuktoo. After the first issue, the Journal got almost derailed, when the partner institute made known its intention to renege on the M.O.U of equally sharing the financial costs in a joint projectmode. There were important lessons to learn enroute, including the reasons for delayed arrival of the Journal at its destination i.e. in the hands of its readers. One, in the public domain, the printing of the 150-page 2+3 issue took nine weeks against two weeks flat for the current issue in the hands of a private printer. Further the time required to post the copies to the members took over two months in the institutional dispatch section for the first issue, while the whole job of posting the next issue could be completed in one week by personal handling.
Another milestone crossed with this issue is the completion of the first annual membership of ISTS, for receiving copies of the International Journal of Tea Science. With the experience gained, the membership fee structure has been modified. Two subsidized categories of members, students and retired non-salaried professionals, whose payments did not meet the cost of production of the Journal, were discontinued A two tier system of annual fees has been introduced: the corporate/ institutional members and the individual/scientist/professional members. On considering the long term arrangements of the financial stability the International Society of Tea Science has introduced a five year membership 2001-2006 with retrospective effect whereby the corporate members could adjust the five year subscription by the amount of the already-paid first year membership. Further, on popular demand, Life Membership for the individual members/scientists/professionals has also been introduced whereby the payment of 2001 -2006 with retrospective effect, with similar adjustment of the payment for 2001-2002 already made, would entitle the individual members to obtain the journal for their lifetime, without further payments. This subscription would be deposited in a fixed deposit account so that the annual interest earned goes towards meeting the cost of the journal. The new rates are given on the first inside cover of this issue and will be effective for subscription beginning with the first issue of the volume II, which will be published in Mach 2003. Please pay your membership for the year 2002-2003 according to the new rates which will entitle the members to receive four usual quarterly issues or two special issues annually.
Notes and News section comprises two components. The first a compilation of what the Readers Write, which reflects the opinions and hopes of readers and advice of the well wishers of the International Journal of Tea science on making this fledgling journal a strong instrument for effectively linking the information sources with the users i.e. tea scientists, tea growers and policy makers. We at the International Society of Tea Science will always endeavor, within the available means, to meet the challenge of harnessing modern Information Technology for the benefit of this centuries old industry. Such sharing of readers opinion provides a road map for future improvements and encourages the editorial personnel.
In the 2nd part, Gita Narrayani focuses on the emerging scenario of bought-leaf factories in India, which is the direct consequence of explosive growth in the number of small-holder tea growers during less than two decades, particularly in North India. Industry is still uncertain whether it is an ephemeral upheaval or a symptomatic paradigm shift to meet the severe cost-price squeeze, which will have a long term impact on the shape of future organization of the tea industry. The comparison with emergence of Kenyas small-grower sector during the 60s, is illuminating. The KTDA could harness the small-growers into niche producers of excellent quality tea in the face of high-input/high-output estate sector. It is a matter of debate in India whether the loosely structured small-holder grower can survive on selling leaf to the unorganized bought-leaf factories and co-exist with the production-linked large scale manufacture. Birth pangs of this tiny sector struggling with all their problems and prospects to find a place in the organized tea economy, will need a lot of policy support and empathy at all levels, before this sector can become viable and co-exist with its big brother.
The research section comprises two papers. One is an original research paper by S.E.Kabir, and the other is a topical review by Pandey and Palni.
Darjeeling tea connotes excellence in quality. Tei Yamanishi, an eminent scientist who has unraveled the basis of tea quality in many parts of the world, stated that some favorable weather conditions exist during the flavory season in known-qualityareas of China and Srilanka. In Darjeeling a unique combination of enabling weather conditions and plant type yields the best quality tea. But the industry and scientists recognize that for survival, Darjeeling needs volumes as well. Kabir in his research paper carried in this issue delves into the physiological response of three clones to the components of Darjeeling weather, in respect of their individual and collective influence on photosynthesis and crop productivity, during different months of the seasons.