 "GJM strike takes a toll on Darjeeling tea industry")
The indefinite strike called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) has hit the Rs 360-crore tea industry in Darjeeling, more so as this is the peak production period in the region.
Though workers continued to pluck leaves at the gardens, the strike, which entered its tenth day on Monday, severely affected the flow of goods. About 95 per cent of Darjeeling tea is exported. But now, the tea can't be transported to sales centres or for exports; it is piling up at factories. Also, fuel supply and rations are running out.
"These are perishable goods; these can't be stored forever," said A N Singh, chairman of Indian Tea Association (ITA) and managing director and chief executive of Goodricke. ITA has convened an emergency meeting of its members on Tuesday. "We are in a wait-and-watch mode. If the strike is called off, the losses will be contained," said Singh.
Though the GJM held a meeting on Monday, it remained inconclusive and it was decided the strike would continue. The party is demanding the creation of a state of Gorkhaland, separate from West Bengal. The demands have gained momentum in the wake of the decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh.
On an average, Darjeeling produces 1.3 million kg of tea in July. Earlier, the Consultative Committee of Plantation Associations had estimated losses incurred by the tea industry in the region due to a three-day strike last month stood at Rs 11 crore.
According to the latest figures by ITA, Darjeeling tea production stood at 2.39 million kg in January-May 2013, against 2.24 million kg in the year-ago period. In the January-March period, tea exports rose 33.7 per cent to 59.8 million kg, compared to the corresponding period last year. If the tea industry in Darjeeling continues to be hit, exports could be affected.
The average price of Darjeeling tea is Rs 375 a kg, against Rs 215 a kg for tea from other regions in north India. The all-India average stands at Rs 154.83 a kg.
Though workers continued to pluck leaves at the gardens, the strike, which entered its tenth day on Monday, severely affected the flow of goods. About 95 per cent of Darjeeling tea is exported. But now, the tea can't be transported to sales centres or for exports; it is piling up at factories. Also, fuel supply and rations are running out.
"These are perishable goods; these can't be stored forever," said A N Singh, chairman of Indian Tea Association (ITA) and managing director and chief executive of Goodricke. ITA has convened an emergency meeting of its members on Tuesday. "We are in a wait-and-watch mode. If the strike is called off, the losses will be contained," said Singh.
Though the GJM held a meeting on Monday, it remained inconclusive and it was decided the strike would continue. The party is demanding the creation of a state of Gorkhaland, separate from West Bengal. The demands have gained momentum in the wake of the decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh.
On an average, Darjeeling produces 1.3 million kg of tea in July. Earlier, the Consultative Committee of Plantation Associations had estimated losses incurred by the tea industry in the region due to a three-day strike last month stood at Rs 11 crore.
According to the latest figures by ITA, Darjeeling tea production stood at 2.39 million kg in January-May 2013, against 2.24 million kg in the year-ago period. In the January-March period, tea exports rose 33.7 per cent to 59.8 million kg, compared to the corresponding period last year. If the tea industry in Darjeeling continues to be hit, exports could be affected.
The average price of Darjeeling tea is Rs 375 a kg, against Rs 215 a kg for tea from other regions in north India. The all-India average stands at Rs 154.83 a kg.