Coimbatore, August 31: Tea producers in Tamil Nadu‘s Nilgiri are experiencing a significant decline in green leaf production due to a severe shortage of rainfall from the southwest monsoon. This has resulted in reduced soil moisture in the tea gardens.
Small tea growers report that this season’s production drop is unprecedented. Typically, these gardens yield around 500 kilograms of green leaves per acre each month, but now they are producing only about 200 kilograms.
Producers have described this as the largest decline seen in decades. Some farmers have installed sprinklers to protect their gardens from prolonged drought. However, the cost of purchasing and operating irrigation equipment is prohibitively high for many small producers, who make up a significant portion of the district’s tea sector.
Agricultural experts note that intermittent rainfall has helped gardens cope with the lack of rain temporarily. The full impact of the shortage may only become apparent if the drought continues in the coming days.
Normally, the annual average yield of tea is estimated at seven to eight tons per acre. However, if the area does not receive more rainfall, this yield could drop by as much as 50 percent. This season alone has already seen an estimated decline of 10 to 20 percent in production.
The prolonged lack of moisture may also extend the time between harvests. This will further reduce the quantity of green leaves supplied to processing factories, exacerbating the economic difficulties faced by farmers.
Despite the drastic drop in production, purchase prices remain below 20 rupees per kilogram, offering little relief to farmers. Experts indicate that tea prices are primarily determined by conditions in the international market.
Consequently, lower yields in Nilgiri do not necessarily mean that the prices of freshly harvested leaves will increase locally. The southwest monsoon, typically lasting from June to August, is crucial for the tea gardens in Udhagamandalam and Gudalur.
Kotagiri benefits from both the southwest and northeast monsoons, while most of the rainfall in Coonoor occurs during the northeast monsoon. With the end of the southwest monsoon, Nilgiri has recorded an overall rainfall deficit of approximately 55 percent, attributed to the effects of ‘Super El Niño.’ Experts claim this is the largest rainfall deficit during the southwest monsoon in the district in the last 15 years.
Farmers are now pinning their hopes on the northeast monsoon. Adequate rainfall in the upcoming season is deemed essential for restoring soil moisture in the tea-growing areas, increasing production, and preventing further losses.
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