GUWAHATI, May 19: Amid the COVID-19 crisis affecting some tea estates in Assam, the state tea industry has suffered substantial crop loss due to “drought-like” conditions this season.
A study carried out by the North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) on crop loss owing to the impact of the prolonged drought-like situation in Assam estimated the crop deficit from January to May this year to be about 60 million kg compared to the same period in the year 2019.
“We have not compared crop figures with the year 2020 because last year the crop deficit from January to May was 78 million kg due to the COVID-19 lockdown. In percentage terms, the crop deficit from January to May this year will be about 40 percent compared to the same period in 2019,” Bidyananda Barkakoty, adviser, North Eastern Tea Association (NETA), said on Wednesday.
The study by NETA, an organisation of tea producers, has also taken into account the rainfall received in the past few days.
Barkakoty said that the year 2021 has been an unusual year so far for the Assam tea industry as far as tea production is concerned.
As it is, coronavirus (COVID-19) has spread among plantation workers with a number of tea estates declared containment zones.
The average rainfall deficit is about 45 percent from January to April this year compared to the same period last year in the main tea growing districts of Assam – Golaghat to Tinsukia.
“Tea industry of Assam is facing tough times again this year. Last year the tea industry suffered due to lockdown, and this year, a severe deficit of rainfall in the early part of the season has caused havoc in tea production,” NETA chairman, Sunil Jallan said.
“We do not remember facing such a prolonged drought in the last 30 years. Apart from the huge loss of crop due to rainfall deficit, the drought at the very beginning of the tea season has also delayed the application of fertilisers by around two months. This will only add to the loss of crop during the ensuing peak harvesting months”, said Manoj Jallan, former chairman of NETA.
“There has been a huge revenue deficit for the Assam tea industry due to very low crop till May and likely impact in crop for June as well,” said Nalin Khemani, chairman of the Bharatiya Cha Parishad (BCP).
Besides, extreme weather fluctuations both in terms of temperature and rainfall have impacted the growth of tea leaves severely.
“Temperature drop from 34 to 19 degrees centigrade coupled with hardly any sunshine for the last one week, preceded by temperatures above 34 degree centigrade is playing havoc with the crop”, said Mrigendra Jalan, adviser, BCP.