Assam: Dearth of good-quality tea leaves due to low rainfall

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: The sprouting of tea leaves in many tea gardens in Upper Assam has not been witnessed as yet, although this is the season of the second flush, in tea industry parlance.

This is attributed to the low rainfall in March and April. Small tea growers have been unable to supply good quality tender tea leaves to factories due to this deficit in rainfall.

Secretary of Jorhat District Committee of All Assam Small Tea Growers Association, Krishna Prasad Sarmah, said to The Sentinel, “As per the direction of the Tea Board of India, the bought leaf factories (BLFs) started buying green leaf from February 17, 2025. However, few small growers could supply green leaf to BLFs for dearth of new leaves. The situation has not improved as yet due to deficit rainfall. Normally, the first flush of tea comes in the month of March and the second flush during April. Now, the month of April is about to end, and most of the tea gardens of small growers in Jorhat district are yet to see the second flush. As a result, the famed ‘two leaves and a bud’ could not be supplied.”

Regarding the price of green leaf, Sarmah said, “Those supplying quality green leaf received prices ranging between Rs 28 and Rs 32 per kg. However, only a few growers in Jorhat district could avail good prices. The growers who supplied normal quality green leaf could manage to get prices ranging from Rs 22 to 25 per kg.”

For the production of the best quality tea leaves, the ideal weather condition is rainfall in the night and sunlight during the day.

 Also Read: ABLTMA Blames Kolkata Large Tea Companies for Price Decline and Surplus of Green Leaves from Small Tea Growers

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