The small tea sector marched ahead of tea estates in terms of production in 2021, the annual data recently published by the Tea Board of India revealed.

In 2021, the Indian tea industry produced around 71 million kilos of tea more than 2020. In 2020, total production was 1,257.53 million kilos which increased to 1,329.04 million kilos.

Of the total production, 680.73 million kilos came from small growers and the remaining 648.31 million kilos were produced in tea estates. In Bengal, where around 400 million kilos of tea were produced last year, the production share of small growers is around 58 per cent, the board’s data says.

In fact, among the major tea growing areas, it is only in Assam where production of the small tea sector is marginally less than the tea estates.

“There is a clear indication that the production in the small tea sector is steadily increasing across the country. This year, the small tea sector has produced around 51 per cent of the total tea (in India). This is happening because the tea bushes in this sector are comparatively younger and the yield is higher than the plantations of many tea estates,” said Bijoygopal Chakraborty, president, Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers’ Associations.

The total tea production in 2021 recorded a marginal hike vis-à-vis 2020 but average auction prices have come down. In the international market, exports declined by over 7 per cent but per unit average price of Indian teas went up over 9 per cent compared to the figures of 2020.

In 2021, the total export was recorded at 175.39 million kilos, 7.61 per cent less than 189.83 million kilos — the amount of tea exported in 2020.

“But the average price has increased to Rs 270.13 per kilo in 2021 from Rs 247.51, which means a rise of 9.14 per cent. This is a good sign and it compensated the industry somewhat,” said a tea planter in Siliguri.

However, in the domestic market, there has been a marginal plunge in price. In 2020, the average price was Rs 184.68 per kilo which dropped to Rs 173.63 a kilo in 2021.

Soumen Nag, a tea expert, pointed out a key issue that the data revealed. Production of Darjeeling tea, the finest brew of the country, continues to remain under 7 million kilos. It was around 10 million kilos even a few years ago, he said.

“This tea fetches highest price abroad and we believe the industry and the government should take initiatives so that production of this quality brew goes up in the coming years,” said Nag.