A tea garden in Darjeeling

Darjeeling, Jan. 10: The cold wave sweeping north Bengal and the lack of rain and sunshine in the hills has the Darjeeling tea industry worried as the growth of the first flush leaves that fetches the highest price is likely to take a beating.

The first flush accounts for around 20 per cent of the industry’s annual output. The average price hovers between Rs 500 and Rs 750 a kg. Sometimes the price goes up to Rs 10,000 a kg.

“We are worried that with the present climatic conditions, this may result in loss of production. If the weather does not change dramatically in the next one month, the first flush is likely to get affected,” said Sandeep Mukherjee, principal advisor to the Darjeeling Tea Association.

The first flush is plucked between February and mid-April. Rain and sunshine in December and January are required for the leaves to sprout. Planters generally look for what they call the “Christmas Rain” followed by sunshine and moisture.

“In December 2011 and 2012, no rainfall was recorded by the Tea Research Association weather station at Ging (25km from here). The number of sunny days has also gone down,” Mukherjee said.

“Now the days are cold and cloudy. But there has been no rain. The cloud cover has blocked the sunshine. If the present conditions persist, the industry could face a drought-like-condition. The cold weather will only hasten the death of the tea bushes,” he said.

In the mid-1990s, Darjeeling produced around 13 million kg of tea (first flush and other seasons) a year. The average production now stands at 9 million kg.