The Hindu Business Line : Tea body moots shear plucking

With tea production in the Nilgiris slated to increase from the second half of this month, the tea scientists and the Tea Board officials are advising the growers to focus on proper cultural practices to maintain the tempo in the volume and quality.

Although the summer heat has started, tea scientists are not worried. "The drought has been of no significance. The drought impact has been broken in many estates. Tea production can increase from the second half of April," a tea scientist told Business Line.

BENEFICIAL SHOWERS

According to the Regional Centre of the UPASI Tea Research Foundation, (TRF), Nilgiris received beneficial showers in all the agro-climatic zones during the first and third week of March. The cumulative rainfall from January to March was higher than not only the comparable period of last year, but the decennial average as well.

Because of this, the average yield in the fiscal 2005-06 rose marginally to 2,252 kgs a hectare from 2,220 kgs in the previous year. The productivity was above 3,000 kg/ha in 6 estates, between 2,500 and 3,000 kg in seven estates, between 2,000 and 2,500 kg in eight estates and below 2,000 kg in 11 estates, the TRF said.

OUTPUT REBOUNDS

This helped the production loss to bounce back. In all, between January and March this year, the overall production in the Nilgiris was 2.82 million kgs against 2.86 million kgs in the corresponding months of 2005. But, the 5-year mean production was high at 3.19 million kgs.

Production will reach a flush season in April second half to end May. "But, the growers should be careful to pluck the leaves in periodical intervals. This will help them harvest quality leaves, which can fetch them around Rs 3 a kg more than the normal leaves.