Darjeeling tea has been facing nature's wrath for quite some time now. In 2022, Darjeeling tea production was 6.93 million kg. In 2023, it dwindled to 6.18 million kg. Violent agitations in the hills in 2017 and recent resurgence in the demand for Gorkhaland ahead of the ongoing elections, too, have impacted the gardens and their profitability in a big way even as demand is growing within the country, industry insiders said.
Darjeeling tea has been facing nature's wrath for quite some time now. In 2022, Darjeeling tea production was 6.93 million kg. In 2023, it dwindled to 6.18 million kg. Violent agitations in the hills in 2017 and recent resurgence in the demand for Gorkhaland ahead of the ongoing elections, too, have impacted the gardens and their profitability in a big way even as demand is growing within the country, industry insiders said.
Many gardens are said to be losing around Rs 200 a kg this year as they also fight rising costs led by higher wages and cheap imports from Nepal that jostle for shelf space in shops in and around Calcutta
The perfect storm in the cost-intensive tea industry is expected to spill over into 2022, as concerns such as rising tea prices as well as subdued export demand continue to hurt the producers.
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