Excessive Heat Affecting Bengal, Assam Tea Harvest

GUWAHATI, (IANS) – Insufficient rainfall and excessive heat are hampering tea production during the current cropping season in Assam and West Bengal. Data released by the Tea Board of India indicates a production drop of around 8 percent in Assam and around 13 percent in West Bengal up to April this year.

Due to a lack of rainfall and high temperatures, the tea-growing regions of West Bengal and Assam have witnessed significant wilting of tea bushes, indicating further crop loss in the coming months. Data published by the India Meteorological Department shows significantly less rainfall, ranging from 50 percent to 80 percent in the major tea-growing districts of West Bengal and 10 percent to 30 percent in Assam, compared to normal rainfall in the same period last year.

Since tea is a rain-fed crop, insufficient rain during these critical months hampers the production of its premium first flush and second flush. This loss of crop will severely affect the cash flows of the companies. The combined fall in tea production by the end of June this year is projected to be around 60 million kilograms less than the corresponding period last year.

The crop lost is primarily the first and second flush, which are the best quality teas of the year. This will significantly impact the revenue of the producers for the year.