Climate change, recession in global markets, competition from tea varieties from Nepal, and the mismatch between production costs and its price have put the tea industry in Darjeeling at risk, an IndiaSpend ground report from the tea gardens has found.
Known worldwide as the ‘champagne’ of Indian teas, Darjeeling tea stands its own against teas from the Nilgiri hills in South India and from Assam. Its unique flavour, believed to be induced by the right balance of sunshine, rainfall, mist and soil acidity in the Himalayas, and plucked by hand, has won Darjeeling tea “the patronage and recognition of discerning consumers worldwide for more than a century”, says the Tea Board of India on its website. “Darjeeling tea that is worthy of its name cannot be grown or manufactured anywhere else in the world.”
Darjeeling tea with its bright metallic colour was the first product of the country to be awarded the Geographical Indication trademark in 2004.
Despite these accolades, production of the tea, and its demand in both domestic and international markets, has been falling, experts said.
A household name
Leaves from a plant called Camillia sinensis produce what is known as Darjeeling tea to the world. The plant was first brought to Darjeeling by the East India Company’s Arthur Campbell in 1841. By 1874 there were 113 tea gardens across…
