Guwahati, May 5: Tea production in Assam is likely to face a dip of 20-25% in April and May due to shortfall in rain. Tea industry sources said the drought-like situation prevailing in Assam has adversely impacted tea production in the first quarter of this year.
"The shortfall in production could be as high as 20 to 25% in April and May, compared to previous years," they added. Plucking activities are restricted to just two-three days a week in the tea gardens at present.
Meanwhile, tea production in the state up to March this year has registered a shortfall of over 39% compared to 2019 during the same period, though it has increased over last year. Data from the Tea Board, India, revealed that the tea production in the state up to March this year has been 20.28 millon kgs, while for the same period in 2019, it was more than 33 millon kgs.
In 2020, the production was nearly 12 million kgs, much less compared to this year, with shortage in rainfall and nationwide lockdown in the last week of March being primary reasons for it, tea industry sources pointed. However, the all-India overall deficit in production up to March this year compared to 2019 is a little over 3% as the tea production in West Bengal and South India has been better in 2021 against that in 2019.
The overall tea production in the country up to March this year has been 99.84 millon kgs, against 103.61 million kgs in 2019. It had dipped to 74.34 million kgs last year.
