Global warming and resultant climatic changes have emerged as the biggest threat to the future of tea industry worldwide. However, most tea growing countries have responded to the challenge in a half- hearted manner. Under present climatic conditions, the production of leaves that make possible the cup that cheers, is suffering both in terms of quality and quantity.
The process may be likened to a slow death as far as tea is concerned. At this rate, the price of of one’s daily cuppa may hit the ceiling in a few years, owing to a drastic fall in availability. The full implication of the emerging situation cannot be assessed until one pauses to recall a simple fact: after water, tea is the second most common as well as acceptable drink in the world. Clearly, the future of tea industry is of grave importance worldwide - it results in an annual business turnover of $30 billion, expected to hit $44.3 billion by 2021.
As old plants begin to wilt in hotter conditions, tea leaves lose their freshness, colour and aroma. The dust varieties also suffer. Growing good tea is a patient, long term business. Most existing plants are between 35 to 90 years old. Rains have declined in most areas, Even when it rains, the precipitation is unpredictable and unbalanced,. Periodic cyclones and thunderstorms cause heavy precipitation and brief spells of flooding. But mostly the weather remains very hot and dry in most parts in South Asia for long spells.
This plays havoc with the usual work schedule of tea plantation and disrupts planning and production.
Major producers are implementing suitable adjustments. There is general agreement however, that working out even a partially effective solution could be costly in terms of time and money.
To begin with China, the largest producer in the world, output from Hunan and adjacent areas has been plagued with uncertainties in recent years. Researchers claim that re-aligning slopes within plantations and rearranging the terrain have helped, but they do not go far enough. More irrigation and the planting of larger trees to offer more shade have been carried out. But this is very much work in progress and it could take some years for the improvement to become noticeable.
As for India, industry circles concede that the taste of Indian varieties is changing for the worse. Fortunately most tea drinkers, being casual consumers, may not be immediately aware of the decline.
Industry circles in Africa fear that production may decline by as much as 50% by 2050, if present weather patterns persist.
In Assam, which produces of 55% of total production in India, which is estimated consistently at around 980,000 tonnes annually. Indian Tea Association(ITA) circles are increasingly edgy over the vagaries of the weather. Assam has 850 plantations, apart from scores of smaller of unregistered gardens.
ITA spokesmen point out that the production began to fluctuate disturbingly as the new millennium began. Between 2006 and 2009, production declined from 564,000 tonnes to 487,000.
There has been little improvement in the situation. The reduced production has ensured that prices for even ordinary grades remain fairly high throughout the year, domestic demand for tea in India being among the highest in the world.
In Assam, experts point out during the last eight decades, rains have reduced by almost 20%. Despite occasional fluctuations, the warming of the atmosphere continues relentlessly.
Rising temperatures, stronger sunlight and diminishing rainfall, directly threaten the future of tea, rice and rubber production - all items critically important for the very survival of populations in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
The earlier climatic trend for Assam and the Northeast, when there used to be heavy rainfall in the April-May months, seems to have ended. To add to the woes of the tea industry, the heating is not restricted to summer months, when it is not uncommon for temperatures to exceed 40C for long spells in Assam. In parts of neighbouring Meghalaya, rainfall has also declined significantly. Until about15 years ago, ago, it was uncommon in Assam for summer average temperatures to soar above 35/36C.
To make matters worse, during winter, instead of lowest temperatures often dropping to 5 or 6C, the minimum temperature hovers around 8/9C these days, which affects the highly weather sensitive plants.
The side effects of such changes are no less worrying. There is a dampness in tea leaves which was not the case earlier. It used to be easier for planters to use effective pesticides. Some only used organic methods to do away with pests. But changes in the weather have resulted in new kinds of pests and afflictions, which are more difficult to deal with.
The cumulative effect of all this has (a) affected production,(b) lowered the quality of the produce, but also(c) changed the taste of the hot steaming drink.
Thursday, June 04, 2026
