Favourable weather provides boost to tea crop in Eastern India

Tuesday, 25 June 2013 10:03 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

SILIGURI, WEST BENGAL, INDIA: Farmers in eastern India’s Siliguri city hope for bumper tea production due to favourable weather conditions. Due to adequate rainfall and pleasant weather in the region, the quantity and quality of tea production is anticipated to improve. “According to the figures received till April, the tea produced last year was 4.1 million kilograms. This year, looking at the good weather conditions, the produce should not be less than 10 million kilograms,” said a tea trader from Siliguri, Kamal Kumar Tiwari on Wednesday (June 19).

India is the second largest producer and consumer of tea. India’s Darjeeling and Assam tea is popular among buyers all over the world and is exported to many countries including Germany and Japan. A tea trader from Siliguri, Ravi Agarwal said that the buyers these days are willing to pay anything for a product if its quality lives upto the expectation of the customer. “You have to match the production with the quantity and quality. Today whoever produces better quality tea will get a better price and that’s the demand of the market and the consumer. And today our consumer can pay more; he wants quality product,” said Agarwal. He added that early this year, the climatic conditions did not seem favourable for good production, but now the weather was improving and it would prove beneficial for tea plantations. Tea plantations are the backbone of North Bengal’s industry. All India production of tea on a yearly basis at an average is 1112 million kilograms and the production of tea in North Bengal is around 231 million kilograms a year. Tea plucking in India usually gains momentum between July and October. According to a 2011 report, India alone consumes 30% of the world’s tea yield. Tea consumption rises in India during the winter months, as people prefer it to cold drinks.