Enduring Crisis of Darjeeling's Tea Industry

Prof. SANTANU BASU

Darjeeling tea, called ‘champagne of Darjeeling’ because of its exquisite flavour and aroma, is steadily losing its base both in Darjeeling Himalayas and international markets. Currently it is facing multiple ‘attacks’ resulting decline of its unique quality and yield. The reason for being ‘Champagne’ is Darjeeling Muscatel tea  which is the second flush as having a  distinct sweet flavoured that is not present in other flushes a musky spiciness , a unique fruitiness in  flavour and more tasteful but  are under direct threat by the climate change. With its bright metallic colour, it was the first product of the country to be awarded the Geographical Indication Trade mark. This sweet musk type flavour can’t be replicated in other growing regions.

The first flush  or the spring harvest , which used to bring abundant tea production during March and April , has significantly reduced due to droughts. The leaves are fine and delicate in nature and the brew gives off a flowery aroma It comes in very high demand and commands premium price. Sunlight interspersed with periodic rain not only helps the plants grow but also contributes to the flavour, but all natural flavour ceased to exist because of higher temperature.  Instead of getting the desirable two leaves and a bud, only large leaves are produced either with no bud or with a dormant bud , which tend to be flavourless . The changing weather patterns have made it increasingly challenging to harvest even two kilograms per day a fraction of six to six and half  kgs per day till 2015. According to the planters, in the past workers could pluck tea leaves twenty five to twenty six times in a year , but with  declining growth of the bush , plucking can’t be done beyond fifteen times. The current expenditure for the yearly  replacement of aged tea bushes rose to Rs. 10 lakhs from Rs. 3 lakhs. The implications of climate change ripple through every aspect of tea yield. The consequences of diminishing tea yield affects the tea economy of the hills and economy in general of north Bengal.

Irrigation costs have soared due to insufficient rainfall resulting both decreased quantity and quality – losing its authentic taste. The scarcity of winter rains  and failure of new buds and leaves to grow have resulted in a loss of distinctive flavour.

The second flush , with its muscatel and fruity notes , and the monsoon flush , offering a bolder flavour , have also been affected. The autumnal flush , the last harvest before winter , attempts to salvage  the flavours  but faces its own challenges , according to the experts.

In G-20 conference in Darjeeling held in September the central government in conformity with the serenity and grandeur of Darjeeling Himalayas  happily gifted Darjeeling tea to the foreign representatives but in early September, Amardeep Singh Bhatia , the Additional Commerce Secretary , reminded the producers of  Indian Tea Association in  annual meeting the declining trend of India’s share of tea export which was 42% in 60s and 70s , but was down to 12% and emphasized for upgrading the quality of Darjeeling tea for boosting its export . But  such speech could not rekindle any hope for the tea producers who are confronted with hard reality of climate change and soil degradations. Excepting first and second flush tea , the production cost for the remaining teas were higher than the market rate inflicting losses resulting closer of numbers of tea gardens in recent years . The first and second flush tea yielded less by 1/3 than previous years. According a 2013 study by researchers at Darjeeling Tea Research and Development Centre , climate change reduced production by 41.97% and 30,90% as compared with 1993 and 2002 respectively. According to Tea Board, the tea production was 5.6 million kg in 2024 , but the previous year it was slightly higher than 6 million kg; Excepting 2017 , the total production in 2024 was all time low  in 169 years of tea industry in the Himalayas. In 2017 , Darjeeling was in turmoil and Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) called 104 days bandh in the hills against WB state government’s decision to Bengali study in hills’ schools mandatory. In that year there was only 3.21 million kg of yield. Despite a political stability for the last seven or eight years the tea production registered a steady decline.

The tea representatives exhorted the union government for initiating steps aiming to popularise Darjeeling tea in China and other foreign countries; the infrastructural bottlenecks of the tea gardens apart  , the foreigners have shown increasing aversion towards Darjeeling and Dooars tea and are concerned  of insecticides and chemical laden Indian Tea. The producers including the bought leaf factory , on the other hand , tacitly admit that with deterioration of natural ambience of the hill gardens, application or in some cases over use of insecticides became unavoidable and to maintain the quality and standard of Darjeeling tea , the production cost shall go higher and higher and losing domestic market shall be another volley of blows to the producers already grappling with low cost and low quality Nepal tea outwardly resembling with both Darjeeling and Dooars tea. The domestic market is already over flooded with spurious Nepal tea that are charged below Rs. 150 per kg while average price of Darjeeling and Dooars starts from Rs. 600 or more.

One spokesman confide, after the annual meeting of Tea Association of India that there is pale of gloom in Darjeeling  tea industry and chances are least for rejuvenation and recovery; In May last year, TAI ordered a restriction upon spraying of insecticides that had a ripple effect upon the gardens ; While the producers , welcomed the TAI’s do’s and don’ts about  insecticides , but are equally sceptical about its impact upon the yield. Another spokesman of tea industry Mr. Arijit Raha openly said the climate change and persistent heat wave ( mercury hovering around 33/ 34 C in March April ) and no rain, specially the absence of winter rains  have put the industry in a quandary and the situation is quite irreversible.

(Views are personal. Email: santanub12@rediffmail.com)