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Floods and rising temperatures during the monsoon are proving to be a danger bell for tea planters. The red spider mite (insect) used in the tea garden was used in March-April, it has started causing damage throughout the year.
Tea planters in Assam and Siliguri have started seeing losses in their fields due to the changing weather. The effect of increased temperature due to climate change has increased the attack of various pests and spraying of pesticides in large quantities to protect them from these pests is also causing problems in tea exports.
Shiva K., the owner of a tea estate in Siliguri, West Bengal. Suriya has been suffering from the effects of climate change over the years. He explains, ‘Due to the increase in the temperature of the environment, insects and mites are attacked throughout the year, for which pesticides are sprayed.
As T. mascuto bug (TBG) is causing considerable damage to the crop, it adds poison to the leaf and destroys the entire plant if the leaf is not broken. Similarly, red spider moth and looper cater pillar are also harming.
At the same time, Sariya of Shiva says, ‘Earlier it used to rain between December and March, but now it is very less. While the total rainfall in the year is the same, which takes the form of flood when the monsoon season is high.
India is the second largest tea producing country
India is the second largest tea producing country after China, but its production is expected to decline due to the changing weather. Jiaul Haq, general secretary of the Tea Plant Workers Association, says, “Thirty years ago, there were no insects, today the spray of chemical has to be increased, due to which it is not exported to the countries like Germany.”
The second rain splitting and flooding ruin the gardens due to overflowing water in the tea gardens. Deforestation and mining in Assam and Bengal are also being affected.
18-30 degree temperature is good
for tea … Ideal temperature for tea production is up to 18-30 degree celsius, if the temperature goes above 32 degree or below 13 degree then it will grow the plant. Affects Along with this, strong winds, freezing cold and extremely strong rains also adversely affect tea production.
Darjeeling used to get cold earlier …
Explaining the impact of climate change, Dr. Vishwajit Berra, director research of Tea Board in Siliguri, West Bengal, says, “Darjeeling is the name of tea, it used to be colder here before, but not now.” Climate change is behind its deteriorating quality.
The unseasonal rains and rising temperatures are causing a lot of damage, insects and if the rain freezes the water under the plant will die. Our effort is to grow plants according to climate change, so that the yield is not affected. We are working on genome sequencing technology for this. ”
Four major tea producing countries in the world
| Country |
Production (lakh tons) |
| China |
24 million tons |
| India |
1.3 million tons |
| Kenya |
4.3 million tons |
| Sri Lanka |
3.4 million tons |
