The small tea growers and bought-leaf factory (BLF) owners have written to the Tea Board, seeking an extension in the production period during the current year.

“On July 15, the Tea Board mentioned in an order that tea leaves can be plucked in Bengal till November 30. We believe that till mid-December, leaves can be plucked and production can continue. That is why we have sent a letter to the board, seeking an extension of the date,” said Bijoygopal Chakraborty, president of the Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers’ Associations (Cista).

In north Bengal, there are around 50,000 growers who contribute to over half of the production in the state.

The board announces the final date of plucking and processing of tea in different states to avoid the production of low-quality brews.

During winter, production is halted for around three months as tea bushes remain dormant. The board announces the date on which plucking will commence the next year.

According to Chakraborty, tea production has suffered in Bengal this year because of inclement weather. “We are behind by around 80 million kilos in north Bengal till now because of detrimental weather. It is unlikely that the industry will recover from this loss. This is yet another reason why we have sought an extension of the date,” he said.

“During the non-productive period (winter season), growers thrive on the earnings they make till the end of the season. The extension will help them make some additional earnings,” the Cista president said.

According to the production trend over the past four-five years, around seven per cent of the total tea is produced during December.

Sanjay Dhanothi, president of the North Bengal Tea Producers’ Welfare Association that represents the BLFs, has also sent a letter to the board, seeking a rollback of the order mentioning the dates.

While the final day for plucking is November 30, the board has mentioned that all tea factories in Bengal will close down by December 2.

“We have already suffered a loss in production and now, an early closure will only exacerbate our financial burdens and will impact our revenues in December,” he said.