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The 133 year old Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation
entered the plantation business in 1913. Today its plantations in the hills of South India cover 2,822 hectares
under tea. These plantations are located in prime plantation areas, producing 8 million kgs of tea annually.
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In keeping with the growing global trend of environmental
awareness and preservation, Bombay Burmah pioneered the organic cultivation of tea in 1988. The key decider in
selecting the ideal site was absolute and total isolation from pollution. Oothu Tea Estate, a part of the
Corporation's Singampatti Group of Estates, proved ideal. Surrounded by vast untouched forests, this tea estate
is virtually untouched by contamination from any industry.
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Organic tea at Oothu is grown with absolutely no chemical input
or artificial fertilizers. Nutrition is provided by the use of vermiculture and large scale application of
compost and oil cakes. All pest and disease control is carried out by purely natural methods of cultivation.
Today, Oothu Tea Estate produces 1 million kgs of organic tea
annually.
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In 1992, a factory dedicated to the manufacture of organic tea
was built at Oothu. Both black and green tea are currently produced here. This production is carefully inspected
and certified by The Institut Für Marktökologie, Switzerland, who are accredited to EEC and associate members
of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). The certification conforms to EEC
regulations for production of organic agricultural products, as well as standards for Organic Food Products of
the United States.
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