Darjeeling the place is a picturesque hill station in West Bengal, around 400 miles from Kolkata, the state capital. The area, surrounded by a green canopy of mountains, is known for its scenic view of Mount Kanchenjunga, theof the plains. However, the population of around two million people, packed into a city that takes up just 7.43 square kilometres, is now facing a perfect storm of challenges.
It’s a stark contrast to the expensive high end British hotels where Darjeeling is offered as one of the world’s finest teas. The strain is also exported in large quantities to the US, Japan and Russia. Around 40 per cent of total produce But that legacy is now in decline. Darjeeling had 87 lush gardens until a few years ago but the numbers have now dwindled to 74 with 13 having closed due to losses. Annual production fell from 6.9 million kilogrammes in 2022 to 6.3 million kg in 2023, the lowest output in the past 50 years. Industry experts say fast-changing climatic conditions are partly responsible.
“There are small growers in Nepal who sell the tea to the factories where they are processed but here the tea garden owners here have their own factories, which increases the production cost, and workers have to be paid statutory benefits,” said Jeetendra Malu, president of theNepal has no such rules. “Besides… we have to pay heavy duty on exports and that drastically raises the cost,” he added. But Nepal is competing, and exporting to countries including China, Russia, Germany and France.