Excess rainfall hits State tea industry

AJit patowary

GUWAHATI, June 6 – Rains are welcome to sustain agricultural activities. But they may prove to be damaging after a certain point. This is exactly what has happened to the State’s largest agro-based industry–the tea industry–this time.

According to scientists engaged in the tea industry, excess rainfall has resulted in a grim situation for the industry so far as its production and quality are concerned. The tea industry has lost about 3 per cent of its total crop, on an average, during the pre-monsoon season this time. In areas, the crop loss during May is as high as 20 per cent to 50 per cent.

Prafulla Bordoloi, a leading consultant tea scientist told The Assam Tribune that it rained heavily and incessantly during the pre-monsoon season this year from March to May in all the tea growing areas of Assam. The rainfall was 22 per cent in excess, compared to the normal rainfall during that period.

Though there is no upper limit of humidity because of continuous rainfall at any stage of growth of tea plant and flushing of the tea leaves, continuous rainfall has brought down the ambient temperature, and, low temperature for a prolonged period has contributed towards suppression of growth.

In May, the crop loss ranged from 20 per cent to as high as 50 per cent and on an average the tea estates have lost about 3 per cent of the total crop of the season. In spite of better crop harvest in March and April compared to last year, the loss in May has put the estates on the back foot, said Bordoloi.

The ideal and normal rainfall during this period, that is — from March to May— is 695 mm, which has gone up to 851 mm this year. And this resulted in low temperatures constantly, particularly in the month of May. The month recorded an average maximum temperature of about 31 degree Celsius and a minimum of 22 degree Celsius. This is at least 2 to 3 degree lower than the normal temperatures.

This has a direct impact on the flushing behaviour of the tea bushes. The dormant period between the first and second flush was a prolonged one, resulting in delayed second flush and crop loss.

To add to all these, there is rampant damage caused by helopeltis, moderate to high attack of greenfly with build up of red spider. Control of these pests has become almost impossible as no application of pesticides could be effective which is either washed out by rains or could not be done in rains. The situation is grim.

The typical premium second flush cup characters came very late in the middle of May and it is already on its wane in the first week of June because of low temperature and arrival of wet leaves in the factories. As the advent of monsoon has already taken place in the tea growing areas, the weather would be wet coupled with low temperature and the hope of more second flush teas is almost lost, said the scientist.

He said that under the ideal climatic condition, the second flush tea produced during May and June amounts to 20 per cent of the total tea produced by the State in a year. The situation is such that this year, the second flush tea production in the State may be reduced to only 10 per cent of the total annual production, said Bordoloi.