Rains hit tea output at Nilgiris

Tea production in the Nilgiris has been affected owing to continuous rain and frostbite which hit the valleys in the last week of November.

The growth of leaves has been restricted, and in many estates it has been fully damaged. "This is due to the extreme chill in the fields. There is an extensive frost in the low elevations and the valleys," said M Bhojarajan, chairman, Nilgiris District Tea Producers Marketing Company.

"As a result the crop has come down heavily. Instead of plucking the leaves once in eight to ten days, we now are plucking only once in 15 days," he added.

Out of one lakh acre owned by small growers in Nilgiris alone, 10 per cent of the crop under cultivation was badly affected said Bhojarajan.

Consequently, the arrival of green leaves to the factories has slowed down. At present, many factories are working only on alternate days.

Even with a gap of 15 days, the volume of tea offered for auctions at the Coonoor Tea Trade Association (CTTA) last week was only 9.9 lakh kg, the lowest recorded this year.

Planting sources estimate a 10 to 15 per cent further reduction in the volume in future owing to low yield.

Despite a drop in the volume, the quality of the high grown winter tea, a premium product which usually fetches a good price, has improved. Upcountry buyers such as Iran are keen to buy such teas, but the drawback is that they are not able to get adequate volume.