Tea production rises in 2022, growers express concern over present challenges

Tea production in calendar 2022 increased to 1,365 million kilogrammes, a tad higher from the previous year which stood at 1,330 million kilogrammes in 2021.

As per the latest data of the Tea Board, production at the North India gardens stood at 1133.35 million kilogrammes, while it was 231.99 million kilogrammes in South India.

For the first three months of 2023, January to March, production volumes stood at 79 million kilogrammes, according to the data.

The data for April 2023, released by the board shows production has dipped to 82.77 million kilogrammes compared to 93.25 million kilogrammes in the same month in 2022.

Meanwhile, tea growers have expressed serious concern over the challenges faced by the industry in the current season.

The apex body of planters Tea Association of India (TAI) said that adverse climate conditions, subdued export and domestic demand are the causes of concern for the industry at the moment.

Ajay Jalan president of TAI, said that a collective and collaborative action by all stakeholders is needed to ensure resilience and growth.

According to Jalan, "erratic weather patterns, extreme temperatures and insufficient rainfall have severely damaged both quality and quantity of tea production in north India comprising Assam and north Bengal".

In addition to this, TAI said the industry is facing subdued demand in domestic and international markets.

"Factors like oversupply of tea in the global market and shifting consumer preferences have weakened export demand", he said.

Jalan said that all stakeholders including tea producers, retailers and government bodies should come together to find out innovative solutions to stave off the potential pending crisis in the industry.