Assam tea industry upbeat with unprecedented August production

It seems, bad days are over with the Assam tea industry as it has witnessed “bumper” and “unprecedented” crop production in August and has almost overcome the shortfall it had posted till May.

After a decline in production in the initial months due to a prolonged dry weather condition, the tea industry has been showing signs of recovery since June. 

Tea production in June this year was 63 million kgs as against 55 million kgs in June 2008. That alone, reduced the shortfall margin that the Assam tea industry had been carrying forward since January to just 1 million kg.  

And if industry sources are to be believed, the shortfall may soon turn into plenty has crop production has been very good since July.  

“What lies in future we don’t know, but yes, as of now, we have come out of the rough phase in tea production this year,” said Bidyananda Barkakoty, chairman of North Eastern Tea Association (NETA). According to him, there has been “bumper” and “unprecedented” production in Brahmaputra Valley in August. The production in Barak Valley (south Assam) too has been satisfactory, said sources.  

“The feedback that I have been getting from planters across the Brahmaputra Valley has been that, barring few pockets, the crop production has been bumper and unprecedented. We have got to see such production after many many years,” he Barkakoty said.  

He further said that as per the predictions of the tea industry, the total annual production should not be in anyway less than last year. Last year was one of the best years for the Assam tea industry as it could come out of the recession that had plagued it since 1999. 

This year too the industry is optimistic that price realisation would be firm till the end of the year. The prospects of Assam tea industry, initially, looked blurred as it posted shortfall in production till May due to drought like condition in the state. Till May, the Assam tea industry had posted a total shortfall of around 9 million kgs, with the worst being the month of April.   But, as weather condition started improving the tea industry too recovered at a healthy pace and production too picked up.