According to the tea garden owners and managers this year production and productivity in the tea industry in Assam and elsewhere in the country would be less due to late start of plucking and related processing. Manager of Green View Tea Estate in Jorhat Dhrubajyoti Borthakur said: “A huge sigh of relief to the tea workers as they resume their work again after a few weeks. The opening of tea gardens in Assam would be seen as a significant step to gradually revive the economy at a time when there are grave challenges in the economy as well as health concerns and livelihood.”

According to experts, the tea bushes have grown much beyond their stipulated height due to the lockdown since March 25 and all the extra leaves would be pruned leaving two leaves and a bud for producing tea leaves. Tea planter in Barak valley region (southern Assam) B. N. Bhattacharya said the irrigation facilities of the gardens have also started watering the tea bushes after over two weeks.

Of the total domestic tea production of 1,325.05 million kg last year, 720 million kg came from Assam, which on an average produces 52 per cent of India’s total tea. In 1990, Assam’s tea production was only 388 million kg which has grown to 692 million kg in 2018 and 720 million kg last year (2019). Assam has 765 big tea gardens and over 1.20 lakh small tea growers engaging around 8 lakh workers in this organised industry.