Excess rainfall causes drop in tea production in Assam, North Bengal

Guwahati, July 11: Excess rainfall so far this year in Assam and North Bengal areas which together produce 81 per cent of the country’s total tea production, has caused sharp drop in production of tea in these areas this summer so far.

A statement issued by P.K. Bhattacharjee, Secretary General of Tea Association of India (TAI), pointed out that this tea-producing region has been battered by the fury of the nature that has witnessed severe rainfall and flood situation the ferocity of which has not been witnessed in the recent times.

The tea crop has been affected great extent given that Assam (Brahmaputra Valley of Assam) and Cachar in Barak Valley of Assam face 11% and 16% drop in production respectively while Dooars and Terai face 21% and 19% drop respectively for the month of June this year vis-a-vis corresponding period of the previous year.

The TAI Chief Executive said in addition to the unprecedented drop in production the Industry has recently been impacted by a rise in wages by Rs.30/- per day in North Bengal while an imminent rise in wages in Assam cannot be ruled out.

“The drop in the production is because of lowering of the average maximum temperature by 1.50C in June, 2022 resulting in lower average sunshine hours to the extent that some of the regions witnessed no sunshine in total 11 days out of 30 days in June, 2022,” the TAI official sad.
Such a lower temperature widened the diurnal temperature variations in June 2022 as that of June 2021.

Moreover, the drop in prices of CTC Tea in the month of May in the region’s of Brahmaputra Valley, Barak Valley and Dooars and Terai has fallen about 15%.
Under this unwarranted adverse scenario, the viability of the tea Industry continues to be impacted by the twin factors of market forces and regression arising out of extreme climate. This makes the Industry’s position very tenuous for the current season, according to the TAI statement.