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A sharp drop in the temperature to sub-zero levels min certain parts of Munnar has put the local tea industry in a spot. ,Thundavurrai Estate of Kanan Devan Hills Plantations Company (KDHP), where the temperature has dropped to minus 1 degree, has suffered crop loss due to tdamaged tea bushes Hources in the sector say the company is yet to assess the extent of the damage. Bstates such as Silent Valley, Thenamallat, Nullani, Kanniamallay, Sevenmallay, Chittavurra and Madupatti are also experiencing sub-zero temperatures. It is feared that the sharp drop in temperature will tpact oea production in the current fiscal.
Climate change
The temperature dropped to sub-zero levels on Wednesday for the first time since the beginning of winter in Munnar. The hill range normally experiences frost fall either by the end of December or early January. The delayed arrival of frosty conditions has hit ready-to-harvest tea leaves in hectares of plantations. The Munnar region accounts for nearly half of Kerala’s total tea production, in the range of 60-63 million kg. Secretary, Association of Planters of Kerala, Ajith B.K., told BusinessLine that climate change is definitely impacting the tea sector in the State, with extreme temperature variations during day and night, and extreme rainfall patterns throughout the year. The current situation is detrimental to overall production and also has a significant impact on pests and disease occurrence in tea plantations. Such climate variations have a direct impact on the cost of production in tea plantations, he added. Y.C. Stephen, state president of the Small Tea Growers’ Federation, Kattappana, said the Munnar region was the worst hit due to frost with around 200 hectares hit. Sub-zero temperatures have been reported from tea plantations in Peermed and Vagamon as well, hitting the earnings of thousands of workers, especially women, who are dependent on tea plantations for their livelihood. It would take another 45 days at least to get back to normal the productive shoots dry up in such cold conditions, he said.
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