Erratic weather conditions and pest attacks have affected tea output in Assam, India’s largest producer of the leaf.

According to Tea Board of India data, estimated production for June slipped to 60.91 million kg (mkg) – around 16 per cent lower than the same month last year.

“The month of July was slightly better than June since there was more sunshine, but August saw continuous rain through the second half and so one can see about 4-5 per cent lower production in the established gardens,” said SK Pathak, Deputy Director (Advisory) and Chief Scientist at the Tea Research Association, Tocklai, Jorhat.

Output is likely to be hit harder in parts of Upper Assam like Dibrugarh and Tinsukia.

Incessant rain over the last few days has seen almost 700 villages in 10 districts being submerged.

“Ideally, there should be rain at night and sunshine through the day. At the moment, there are just overcast skies and if the night temperature drops then production will be affected,” said D Mukherjee, Executive Director of the Tea Board’s North-East Zonal office in Guwahati.

He added that it was difficult to estimate whether overall production in the State will be lower this year since “peak time” for plucking also comprised September and October.

Pathak, however, believed that this year was not an exception and that conditions for healthy plant growth had been deteriorating over the last 5-7 years with no rains between November and March.

Diseases outbreak As a result, productivity has been falling with the health of tea bushes compromised, allowing diseases such as ‘red rust’ to become commonplace across almost 20-25 per cent of Assam’s tea gardens.

“In addition to red rust, higher Helopeltis outbreaks have been aided by wet conditions this year. ‘Looper caterpillar’ and ‘tea mosquito bug’ attacks are rising. Hyposidra talaca (a type of moth that feeds on tea foliage) has also appeared in large numbers.

“These pests have benefited from adverse weather and are estimated to have damaged almost 2-3 per cent of the crop this year,” he said.

Assam produces between 52 and 55 per cent of India’s total tea production of 1,200 mkg of which 200 mkg was exported last year.

Export sales High grade ‘Assams’ compete with varieties from Kenya where drought conditions have hit an estimated 25 per cent of output.

In the beginning of August, quality ‘Assams’ were selling for $3.5/kg, compared to Kenyan varieties that were pegged at around $4-4.5/kg, said officials.

At a time when foreign sales have slipped 10.4 per cent to 76.1 mkg between January and May this year vis-à-vis last year, a dent in output from Assam could hurt exporters looking to capitalise on the Kenyan shortfall to service markets such as the UK, Pakistan and Egypt.

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