The Hindu Business Line : 30% drop in Darjeeling tea output this year

Kolkata, June 27 The shortfall in Darjeeling tea crop so far in the current year is about 30 per cent and there is no way this could be made up, according to Mr R.K. Babycon, Vice-Chairman of Darjeeling Tea Association (DTA), the body of Darjeeling tea planters.

Weather woes

Talking to newspersons on the sidelines of the association’s 18th annual general meeting here on Friday, Mr Babycon said the drop in production had been caused mostly by unfavourable weather conditions. The annual production of Darjeeling tea is estimated at 10 million kgs by nearly 90 gardens and the bulk of the production is exported.

Nearly 50 per cent of the annual production and almost entire production of the top quality tea in Darjeeling would take place between March and July. Bad weather hit hard the production so far this year, he said, pointing out that large-scale absenteeism among workers for several days due to the Gorkhaland agitation too hampered the collection of green leaf and production of made tea.

Gorkhaland issue

Mr Babycon ruled out the possibility of his organisation initiating any dialogue with the leaders of Gorkha Janamukti Morcha which is spearheading the agitation. “There is no point in our talking to them when the Government is doing all that is needed to be done”, he said. He, however, conceded that the majority of workers in Darjeeling gardens were supporters of GJM.

Earlier, Mr Basudeb Banerjee, Chairman, Tea Board, in his address, expressed the view that the tea industry should be kept out of the purview of any political agitation. “After all, Darjeeling’s own identity depends on tea, just as the livelihood of a large number of tea garden workers,” he said, hoping that good sense would prevail with those really interested in the prosperity of the tea industry, tourism and also the people of Darjeeling.

The Tea Board Chairman also urged the Darjeeling planters to share the cost of promotion of IPR and marketing of Darjeeling tea. “It is not possible for the Union Government and Tea Board to go on funding the costs indefinitely,” he said, adding, “at a certain point of time part funding must also come from the industry”. An estimated Rs 80 lakh on IPR promotion and another few crores of rupees on promotion of Darjeeling tea is spent by the Tea Board every year. This could not continue indefinitely, he said.

The other issues which, he felt, were important for Darjeeling tea industry were how to boost the domestic demand of Darjeeling tea and how to handle the growth of small-growers keeping in view the issue of trade chain management.

Referring to the proposal for setting up a Darjeeling tea research and development centre, he said the Centre had sanctioned Rs 5 crore in the 11th Plan but no cogent plan had been firmed up as yet. He urged the industry to provide the land for the proposed centre.

Mrs R. Sen, Deputy Chairman Tea Board, said, after successful registration of Darjeeling tea as GI under ECR 510 in the European member countries, moves were afoot for similar registrations of Assam and Nilgiri orthodox. Kangra tea had already been registered though not with much progress. Also, as a first step towards registration of Terai-Dooars tea, separate logo was being created.

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