The Darjeeling tea industry is bitter over the government’s alleged move to allow Nepal tea imports without properly testing the entire consignment.

Darjeeling Tea Association (DTA) has alleged that it is “shocked that cheap and dubious Nepal tea is being allowed to be imported without FSSAI checks".

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is a statutory body under the Union ministry of health and family welfare and regulates, among other things, the quality of food articles in India, including its imports.

"The FSSAI in its order dated 23.04.2024 has clearly mandated that all import teas need to be subjected to full and accurate testing as per stated FSSAI protocol… Cheap duty-free dumping of low quality and FSSAI non-compliant teas from Nepal have turned the Darjeeling tea industry into an ICU patient...," said a DTA official.

The latest bitterness against the government’s failure to check the quality of Nepal tea comes after 28 trucks carrying Nepal tea were reportedly allowed to enter India in April-end without food security checks from the Panitanki border near Siliguri.

Sources said that these trucks were first stopped and the entire consignment of Nepal teas was tested, but vehicles were allowed inside India before the test reports came in.

Administrative sources admitted that the trucks were allowed to enter India with a directive from “higher authorities.”

"At the moment, the first five consignments of importers (for tea) are now being tested and this is valid for six months. Of course, random tests are also done,” said a source in the known of things.

The incident of the 28 trucks created a flutter in Nepal.

"The issue was taken up right to the Nepal Prime Minister’s office by Nepal tea growers. The matter was also raised with the Indian government,” said a source in Nepal.

The Darjeeling Tea industry wants the government to take stringent measures against the “dumping” of Nepal tea into India. Industry stakeholders have alleged that many unscrupulous dealers in India are either mixing or selling Nepal tea as Darjeeling tea.

The tea-growing districts of Nepal are contiguous to Darjeeling district.

Nepal exports around 16,000 tonnes of tea, around 90 per cent to India.