Lockdown: Assam Tea Industry losses Rs. 1218 crore

TheAssam Tea Industry has lost as many as Rs. 1218 crores due to lockdown.According to a study by the North Eastern Tea Association (NETA), the Assam Teaindustry has lost about 80 million kgs of crops due to the lockdown imposed inview of the outbreak of Coronavirus across the country.

Itmay be mentioned here that after an unproductive off-season gap of almost threemonths, the new tea season had barely started around the second week of Marchbut the tea gardens across the State had to close down from 22nd March due toCOVID-19 related issues and the subsequent National lockdown.

TheNETA in its report stated that the tea industry has lost almost the entire cropof March 2020 which is estimated to be about 30 million kgs

Therefore,we have lost almost the entire crop of March 2020 which is estimated to beabout 30 million kgs. Further, considering the crop loss due to skiffing(removal of overgrown tea leaves), the total crop loss for the month of Aprilwould be about 30 million kgs and the estimated crop loss for May would beabout 20 million kgs.

Meanwhile,the annual average price of tea of North India (which includes Assam) at theIndian auctions in 2019 was Rs. 152.26 per kg. Hence the total revenue loss ofAssam tea industry due to lockdown will be Rs. 1218 crore, revealed the NETAstudy.