More crises brewing for Darjeeling tea

Work has resumed after a long suspension because of the Gorkhaland agitation, but producers' problems are far from over

In a season when the weather works to the advantage of planters, tea estates in the hills of Darjeeling will just about manage to keep their heads above water. This cannot be otherwise since the labour productivity in the hills is one-third of the national average for the tea industry and the high elevation of Darjeeling gardens keeps production costs high. Producers of the globally famed tea have, therefore, remained under constant pressure to find money for the upkeep of gardens. A decade ago, Darjeeling tea production ranged from 10 million kg (mk) to 11 mk. The principal reason for