Bitter brew

New Delhi, Jan. 1: The tea industry in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra valley is in a crisis because of falling exports, inadequate returns and a low yield per hectare.

In exports, difficulties have cropped up in despatching consignments to Afghanistan, Kangra’s main market, especially by land routes through Pakistan.

Tea Board chairman Basudeb Banerjee said, “Out of 950 million kg produced in India, Kangra accounts for just over a million kilogram.”

Compared with other varieties such as Assam, whose yield is 30 quintals per hectare, Kangra’s is as low as 3 quintals.

The unique taste of the tea makes it a favourite with select clients.

Sanjay Kapur, master tea taster and owner of Aap Ki Pasand, a Delhi-based marketing firm, said because of inadequate returns “no money can be ploughed back into the fields.”

He said that “as a result, the old bushes are not being replaced even after 30 years when it starts giving lower yields. Fresh bushes have not been planted in the Kangra valley for a long time and some of the bushes are as old as 100 years.”

Cheap imports from Sri Lanka, Argentina, Kenya and other African countries as well as from Assam have muscled out Kangra from the domestic market.

Kapur is hopeful of things improving in the near future. He is exporting the tea to Japan.

The government has given the geographical indicator status to Kangra, meaning the market for me-too teas would shrink.

With better marketing initiatives, improved distribution channels and good publicity, Kapur said it was possible to revive the past glory of this Himachal leaf.

Kangra is a small valley between Dharamshala and Palampur where the leaf is grown.

Though similar to Assam in taste, connoisseurs said the tea, like Darjeeling whose production is 10 million kg, would always have a demand because of its rarity.

Assam produces bulk of Indian tea at 450 million kg annually. The Dooars, Siliguri and Cooch Behar produce another 250 million kg.

The combined produce of the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka stands at another 240 million kg.