The Indian Tea Association (ITA) on Friday reiterated its plea for financial assistance from the Centre to support the struggling Darjeeling tea industry. According to the ITA, the situation in Darjeeling is critical due to decreasing yields and plummeting prices. Without a financial relief package, the survival of the Darjeeling tea industry is in jeopardy, the association said, adding that it has urged the government to consider and act upon a financial revival package endorsed by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce in March 2022. "The association has urged the government to extend a financial revival package to the Darjeeling tea sector which has been already endorsed by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on commerce in March 2022. This awaits consideration and action", the ITA said. The ITA, quoting Tea Board data, highlighted that adverse weather conditions have affected tea production in Assam and West Bengal, leading to a significant decrease in production. F
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The tea industry, hit by rising costs, falling prices and political unrest in the North Bengal plantations, is especially vulnerable to the Covid-19 lockdown
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All of the 1422 registered tea estates and more than 250,000 micro-small planters have stopped production citing safety precautions for workers, unavailability of transport
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Darjeeling tea gradually went off the auctions after its production stopped in mid-June due to the political agitation there