First flush Darjeeling tea almost lost due to lockdown, say planters

Kolkata, Apr 4 () The Darjeeling tea industry onSaturday said it has almost lost its first flush production inthe wake of the ongoing lockdown to contain the COVID-19pandemic, leading to a financial crunch for garden owners asthe premium variety contribues 40 per cent of the annualrevenue of the planters.

The first flush accounts for 20 per cent of the 8million kg annual production in the hills, Darjeeling TeaAssociation (DTA) chairman Binod Mohan said.

"The condition is very bad. The first flush is almostwiped out," he told .

DTA's former chairman Ashok Lohia said the entirefirst flush crop is exportable and there will be an adverseimpact on the annual revenue due to the production loss ofthis premium variety.

"We want the government to allow production to start,since this is primarily an agricultural activity," Lohia,chairman of Chamong Tea, said.

The first flush season starts from March and continuestill first week of May.

Despite the financial crisis in the sector, some ofthe gardens are making payments to the workers as per thegovernment's directive, Mohan said.

Some of the Darjeeling tea garden owners whosefinancial conditions are not good, have been facingdifficulties to meet wage payment obligations, he said.

"We have requested the West Bengal government toreduce their burdens to some extent," Mohan said.

There are nearly 87 gardens in the hills.

Darjeeling chapter of the Indian Tea Association(DITA) secretary M Chettri said that it has 22 members andfive of them have paid wages to the workers during thelockdown period even though production came to a halt.

The gardens, which made payments to their workers, areGlenburn, Makaibari, Ambiok, Teendharia and Jangpara, he said.

"The owners of the gardens, who are yet to pay wagesto the labourers, are in discussion with the unions, andhopefully, a decision will be taken by Saturday," Chettrisaid.

The Darjeeling tea workers are paid Rs 176 on a dailybasis in addition to ration and food.

Rudra Chatterjee, director of Luxmi Tea, which ownsthe famous Makaibari brand, said, "Wages of our workers havebeen paid during to the lockdown period including theirrations."

He said awareness programmes including hygienepractices are being held in the workers' colonies andadditional facilities such as isolation and quarantine centreshave been created in the estates.

Lohia said wages to the labourers have already beenpaid and an awareness exercise is on to educate the workers'community to prevent the coronavirus outbreak.

"Those who had left the gardens came back and theyhave been put under self-quarantine," he added. dcBDC BDC