Spring rain brings relief to tea gardens ahead of first flush season

Alipurduar: After nearly five months of dry weather, more than 300 tea gardens across North Bengal have finally received rainfall, bringing much-needed relief to the tea industry. Planters and experts are describing the spring showers as a blessing during the crucial first flush season.

Rainfall was recorded on Thursday night across the tea-growing regions of Darjeeling, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri districts.

According to industry sources, over the past 48 hours, starting Wednesday evening, tea gardens across the hills, Terai and Dooars received rainfall ranging from one inch to nearly five inches in some areas.

Experts remain optimistic that more spells of light to moderate rainfall may occur over the next one to two weeks. If that happens, concerns over the production of first flush tea could ease significantly.

The rainfall has also reduced the need for artificial irrigation in tea gardens for the next 8–10 days, helping estates save electricity and lower operational costs.

Increased soil moisture is also expected to reduce the chances of pest and disease attacks.

Plucking of first flush tea leaves begins in March, making March and April crucial months for the industry. Tea planters are therefore hoping for at least two to three more spells of rain within the next 15 days.

Chinmoy Dhar, manager of Majherdabri Tea Garden in Alipurduar, said: “The rain has come as a major relief after months of dryness and will help improve production while reducing irrigation costs for us.”

Rajkumar Mondal, chairman of the tea garden owners’ association DBITA, said: “There is only one thing to say—this rain is a blessing. We hope there will be more rainfall within the next week.”

Bijoy Gopal Chakraborty, president of the Confederation of Indian Small Tea-Growers Association (CISTA), said the first flush had already been affected by the dry spell but the recent rainfall would help improve both the quantity and quality of the upcoming second flush.