The ‘cup that cheers’ is under a lot of heat, quite literally. Climate change — erratic rainfall, high temperature, high carbon dioxide, among others — has had a serious impact on the tea plant, which experts otherwise classify as ‘self-adapting’. So much so that the cost of tea production in Assam — a State known for its tea the world over — has gone up by 40 per cent.

A report says that tea growing regions in Assam could drastically reduce by 2050. Hence, facing an unpredictable fate and with the knowledge that climatic conditions are likely to worsen, scientists at a tea research institute in the northeastern state are developing tea clones that will thrive in such situations.

“A Food and Agriculture Organisation report last year called for planting of drought-tolerant material as an adaptive measure,” says Dr AK Barooah, Director of the Jorhat-based Tocklai Tea Research Association (TRA). “We therefore have ongoing research on plant adaptability, and development of seeds and clones that would survive in possible climatic conditions decades from now.” The industry is also a worried lot. Abrar H Chowdhury, Chairman of the Assam Branch of the Indian Tea Association (ABITA), worries over the spiralling cost of tea production. He feels, apart from research, equal importance should be given to other sustainability measures that are community-driven. “Tea gardens must take up aforestation on war-footing, practice water harvesting, conserve energy. Drip-irrigation is doing marvels even in deserts, maybe that would help us too.”

One of the biggest challenges facing the tea industry is erratic rainfall, resulting in low yield. Data from TRA shows that in the month of March this year, deficit rainfall across Assam, Darjeeling (West Bengal), the Terai region, and Tripura has resulted in a fall in yield as compared to the same period last year.

In Darjeeling — well known for its aromatic tea — data says that usually March is the “heavy cropping month”, when almost eight per cent of the total harvesting is done. But because of delayed rainfall and a drop of three degrees following the rain, the crop deficit for March was 75 per cent as compared to the standard yield.

“Earlier our focus was on quantity — clones that would give high yield. Now the target is of good quality in the face of weather pattern changes. We are developing clones that are drought-tolerant in order to withstand the climatic stress of the current times,” says Dr Barooah.

Last month, Tocklai announced four tea clones to be released soon. Clone is a vegetatively propagated plant from the stem, which promises drought-tolerance and good quality yield. The first will be released in Darjeeling later this year, while the other three over the next few years. Each clone is tested for 10-12 years before it is released to the tea industry.

According to the director, Assam has, over the last century, lost 200 mm of rainfall. With the decrease and shift in rainfall distribution, the tea industry is losing the first flush that comes in March-April. The first flush denotes the first spring growth of the plant, the delicate two leaves and a bud that gives a light, floral, astringent flavour.

In tea gardens, the spraying of fertilisers is timed with the rainfall. “With no rainfall, fertiliser is not as effective. Lowering rainfall means low humidity, which again affects the first flush,” explains Dr RM Bhagat, Deputy Director at TRA and its chief scientist.

“Earlier, irrigation costs in tea gardens were almost negligible; the rainfall pattern was so reliable. But now, it costs ₹3,000 per hectare per annum. Similarly, the cost of fertiliser has escalated,” says Chowdhury. ABITA has 800 tea gardens under its ambit. Changing weather patterns have also resulted in a spurt of new pests in the tea gardens.

Data indicates an emergency situation in the industry. Last year, Tata Global Beverages announced commissioning a study to the TRA to identify indicators of climatic change that will impact Assam’s tea growing regions in the next 50 years. This is to identify areas which would remain suitable for tea cultivation, which ones would require adaptation and which ones would most likely become unsuitable and may require switching to other crops.

The writer is a freelance journalist

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