Tea plucking to resume in Dooars on Feb 17

Alipurduar: Tea plucking in the Dooars region will resume on February 17 after a hiatus that began on November 30, 2024. The Tea Board of India issued an official order on Wednesday, detailing the resumption dates for various tea-producing regions.

According to the order, tea plucking will restart on February 17 for the Dooars, Terai and Bihar regions, followed by a restart on February 27 for Sikkim and Darjeeling Hills. In Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, plucking will recommence on March 7. The annual break in tea plucking, which typically begins in late November, was extended this year, with the previous suspension lasting until February 12, 2024.

Tea producers in the region are facing severe economic challenges, with tea prices having plummeted in successive auctions over the past six months. This has compounded the financial strain on tea gardens, leading to a significant reduction in production.

The Indian Tea Board had issued a halt on plucking tea leaves from November 30, 2024, following a notice issued six months earlier. Allegedly, tea production has dropped by at least 25 per cent due to the extended break. Chinmay Dhar, North Bengal Chairman of the Tea Association of India (TAI), expressed concerns about the delay in resumption. He stated: “New leaves have already started appearing on the tea plantations. Last year, the Tea Board allowed leaf picking from February 12. This year, they’ve delayed it by another five days, allowing it only from February 17.

Had it been done earlier, it would have been beneficial for our gardens. This delay has caused significant damage to the tea gardens.”