Guwahati:Assam has recorded a four percent decline in tea production this year, courtesy climate change.
Statistics available with the Tea Board of India reveal that the tea gardens in Assam's Brahmaputra Valley have recorded a 4 percent decline in production this year compared to last year.
According to data, the overall tea production in Assam from January to October was 577 million tons compared to 589.27 million tons recorded during the same period last year, indicating that the production declined by 21.7 million tons.
Expressing concern over the decline, adviser of prominent tea planters and producers organisation, North East Tea Association (NETA), Bidyananda Barkakoty said the decline in production started from the beginning this year. Although there was a slight improvement during the middle of the year, production started to decline towards the end. The tea season in Assam normally continues from March to December.
Barkakoty, a veteran tea planter, blamed it to the changing climate and said that Assam tea has been suffering due to the impacts of the change in climate. Tea is a weather-dependent crop and adequate rainfall, temperature and humidity impact its production, he said.
According to Barkakoty, the change in rainfall pattern and the minimum temperature has impacted the crops for last several years. The problem is likely to be more severe in the days to come, he added. Barkakoty said that change in average mean temperature and the variation in rainfall patters have impacted production.
It may be mentioned here that Assam contributes over 52 percent of India's total tea production. While there are over 800 small and large tea gardens in Assam, small tea growers also play a major role, who are responsible for producing 53 percent of Assam's total tea production.
"The main reason for decline in production in Assam is climate change. The tea growing areas in Assam should not have more than 30 degree Celsius temperature during the summer. However, we have seen that the minimum temperature goes beyond 40 degree Celsius these days. The high temperature affects tea bushes severely. Also there is deficit rainfall in tea growing areas," Rajesh Kumar Dutta, secretary of the Small Tea Growers' Association in Assam said adding that Assam has witnessed hot weather till mid September this year, which is quite unusual.
The Regional Meteorological Department in Assam has also indicated that there have been changes in temperature and rainfall in Assam in the current year. The weather department's data shows that Assam and other northeastern states have recorded less rainfall between June to August this year. While Assam recorded at least 7 percent deficit rainfall, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura recorded 14 and 8 percent deficiency in rainfall respectively this year.
Barkakoty said that there is a need to take up steps to mitigate the impact of climate change in tea industry. Although experts have advised to adopt mitigation measures, these were neither implemented nor executed properly across the state. They also said that there is still lack of awareness among the tea growers about the mitigation measures.
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