Crisis brewing in Kangra’s tea gardens due to virus, erratic weather
DHARAMSHALA : The Covid-19 pandemic and erratic rainfall have hit the Kangra tea industry for the second consecutive year.
Once in demand in Europe, Central Asia, Australia and Afghanistan, Kangra tea is already facing a crisis due to the shrinking area under cultivation, high input cost and tough market competition.
According to the economic survey, the total area under tea in 2019-20 was 2,314.71 hectares with a production of 1,002 tonnes.
The number of tea growers has come down from 5,000 to 1,100 since 2010, while the area under cultivation has declined from 4,000 hectares in the early ’80s to 2,300 hectares today. Nearly 1,000 small tea growers of Kangra and Mandi have reported losses. In 2020, even though the produce was good, the tea growers suffered losses due to the nationwide lockdown imposed to contain the spread of Covid-19. This year, the erratic weather had a major impact, while the state imposed a lockdown to deal with the second
wave of the pandemic.
Erratic rain ruins 70% of first flush pluck
Gokul Butail, the spokesperson for the Kangra Tea Planters’ Association, said” “Erratic rainfall pattern and hailstorm destroyed the first flush of Kanduces
gra tea. A first flush is the first round of leaf buds coming out of the tea bush in the harvest season. First flush, plucked in
April, teas are often the best, as the year’s first harvest— rich in aroma, quality, flavour and value. Each additional flush propradhan
a different flavour and aroma as the growing season for that tea plant progress season.
“At least 70% of the first flush crop tea produce, which fetches the highest price (around ₹600-₹700 per kg) in the market was destroyed this year,” said Butail. Temperatures were comparatively higher in winter, while rainfall, which is must for plant growth, was low. In summer, when it should be warmer, hailstorm and untimely rainfall ruined the yield. “The estimated first flush production in Kangra would be around 200 tonnes but the production this year was only 60 tonnes,” he said. The tea industry was further hit by problems in transportation due to the lockdown amid rising Covid cases in April. Though the government had given relaxation to the agriculture sector, but fear of the virus caused problems in getting transport.