A review-meeting of the members of the apex association of the North Indian tea industry, the Indian Tea Association, on Monday estimated a crop loss of 20 million kg upto August as adverse weather conditions continued to drive down production in North India (especially Assam). The pest attack that was triggered by excessive rainfall has, however, been contained but the industry sees little scope for making up the crop loss during the remaining months of the year.
Talking to The Hindu , ITA Chairman Aditya Khaitan said that the crop loss till August was “unprecedented and water-logging and high water-tables in Assam has affected drainage and thereby crops, although the pest problem, plaguing the industry was now under control”. When contacted, Tea Board Chairman Basudeb Banerjee, however, felt that it was too early to take a view in totality as a few more months of production were still left.