‘Good quality’ Nepal tea spoils Darjeeling’s party

SILIGURI: The unrest in Darjeeling iswhippingupastirintheteacup aswell.ThepremiumDarjeeling tea is getting competition from a Nepalese rip-off, which is as good as the original in aroma and flavour.

Grown on similar Himalayan terrain and climate across the border in Nepal, the tea made its way into Bengal’s cuppa during the 104-day strike in the Darjeeling hills for a separate Gorkhaland state this summer. The strike, marred by violence, affected the 87 gardens in north Bengal’s tea belt.

“The strike extended from mid-June to September-end and paralysedthegardensinDarjeeling.Itturnedintoagoldenopportunity for Nepal tea,” said Anil Bansal, a tea trader in Siliguri, north Bengal’s largest city and tradinghub.Labourersfromgardens producing one of the finest Indian teas migrated to Nepal, looking for greener pastures.

TheGorkhaJanmuktiMorcha (GJM),whichwasspearheading the statehood movement, called off the shutdown but the labourers haven’t returned. The migrationaffectedthegardensin northBengal.“IfNepalproduces 4.5 million kg of tea, only 0.5 million is consumed in the country. TherestentersIndia,”saidBinod Mohan,chairmanoftheDarjeeling Tea Association (DTA).

TheNepalcropentersIndiaas part of a free trade agreement.

According to traders, customers are not familiar with Nepal tea and don’t ask for it.

The Nepal product enjoys a costadvantage.Itisblendedwith Darjeeling tea — the first Indian product to obtain a geographical indication (GI) tag — and sold loose to boost profit margins of traders. The blend is sold as Darjeeling tea.

Sometimes, unblended Nepal teaisalsopassedoffasDarjeeling tea, the traders said.

According to the Nepal Tea and Coffee Development Board, the country produced 5.5 million kg of orthodox tea in 2015-2016, which is about 65% of Darjeeling’sproduce.Thatyear,Darjeeling’s orthodox tea production was about 8.5 million kg.

Thetotalareaunderorthodox tea plantation is increasing in Nepal — from 8,786 hectares in 2013-2014 to 16,245 hectares in 2015-2016. In Darjeeling, production is likely to stagnate because there’s no land available for new plantationandteabushesareold.

“The demand for Nepal tea is ontheriseduetoitsquality,”said Trilok Chand Agarwal of Sagar TeaHouse.Hesaidfertilesoiland young tea bushes are the two major advantages of Nepal tea.