Rain Shortage Hits Tea Production in Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu

Coimbatore, August 31: Tea producers in Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, are facing a significant decline in green leaf production due to a substantial decrease in rainfall during the southwest monsoon, leading to reduced soil moisture in the plantations.

Small tea growers report that the drop in production this season is unprecedented. Farms that typically yield around 500 kilograms of green leaves per acre each month are now producing only about 200 kilograms.

Producers have described this as the largest decline seen in decades. Some farmers have installed sprinklers to save their plantations from prolonged drought; however, the cost of purchasing and operating irrigation equipment is prohibitively high for many small producers, who make up a significant portion of the district’s tea sector.

Agricultural experts suggest that sporadic rainfall has helped the plantations cope with the lack of rain temporarily. The full impact of the shortage may only be realized if the drought continues in the coming days.

Typically, the annual average yield of tea is estimated at seven to eight tons per acre, but if the region does not receive more rainfall, this yield could drop by as much as 50 percent. The current season has already seen an estimated decline of 10 to 20 percent in production.

The prolonged lack of moisture may also extend the time between harvests, further reducing the quantity of green leaves supplied to processing factories and exacerbating the economic difficulties faced by farmers.

Despite the significant drop in production, purchase prices remain below 20 rupees per kilogram, providing little relief to farmers. Experts indicate that tea prices are primarily determined by conditions in the international market.

As a result, lower production in Nilgiris does not necessarily mean that the prices of freshly harvested leaves will rise. The southwest monsoon, which typically lasts from June to August, is crucial for the tea plantations in Ooty and Gudalur.

Kotagiri benefits from both the southwest and northeast monsoons, while most rainfall in Coonoor occurs during the northeast monsoon. With the end of the southwest monsoon, Nilgiris has recorded an overall rainfall deficit of approximately 55 percent, attributed to the effects of ‘Super El Niño.’ Experts claim this is the largest rainfall deficit during the southwest monsoon in the district in the past 15 years.

Farmers are now pinning their hopes on the northeast monsoon, as good rainfall in the upcoming season is deemed essential to restore soil moisture, increase yields, and prevent further losses.