Darjeeling black tea output plunges 90%, Indian tea prices may soar

Darjeeling black tea, ranked among the world's three major black teas, has recently been severely affected in output by local ethnic conflict and a major strike, with tea production in June alone falling 90%, dealing a major blow to the global tea market.

 

Foreign media reported earlier that the Darjeeling tea region in West Bengal in eastern India, an area at the foot of the Himalayas, produces about 10,000 tons of tea each year and is a renowned black tea producing area. But recently, due to conflict between the local indigenous Gorka people and the Bengali people, the Gorka ethnic group took drastic measures and launched a strike, which also caused many deaths and injuries.

 

From late May to mid-July, which is the second flush period for Darjeeling black tea, nearly 8 million kg of tea sold each year mostly comes from this period. But after the unrest broke out, tea production in June fell to only 140,000 kg, a sharp drop of 90% from 1.33 million kg in the same period last year. As a result, the world is facing a severe shortage of black tea, and the local tourism industry has also been hit. Some forecasts further point out that tea prices may rise by more than 20% next, and some Darjeeling tea gardens may need to spend years before they can recover.