Tea Plantation in India: India’s Cultural Heritage

Table of Contents

• Tea Plantation in India
• Popular Tea Varieties in India
• Steps Involved in Tea Cultivation
  • Soil & Climate Requirement
  • Season and Plantation
  • Irrigation and Manuring
  • Training and Pruning
  • Pest and Disease Management
  • Harvesting
• Top Tea Producing States in India
• Tea Exports in India
• Government Initiatives to Support Tea Production in India

Tea Plantation in India

The history of tea began from the early 1800s to India’s independence in 1947. British introduced tea in India. Today, India is the second largest tea producer in the world after China. India has a diverse geography and a rich cultural heritage suitable for tea cultivation. According to IBEF, a total of 6.19 lakh hectares of area was cultivated in India for tea production in 2022. India is also among the world's top tea-consuming countries, with 80% of the tea produced in the country consumed by the domestic population. 2022-23, India’s tea production stood at 1,374.97 million kgs, compared to 1,344.40 million kilograms in 2021-22. The tea industry plays a vital role in India’s economy, providing employment to millions of people, particularly in the rural areas of tea estates. The top tea-producing states include Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Popular Tea Varieties in India

• Darjeeling
• Assam
• Nilgiri
• Kangara 
• Dooars-Terai 
• Masala Tea 
• Sikkim Tea 
• Tripura

According to ICAR, following districts or regions got GI tags for tea plantation in India:

Steps Involved in Tea Cultivation

Soil & Climate Requirement

Tea cultivation requires well-drained soil with a high amount of organic matter. The presence of minerals like potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen is crucial for healthy tea bushes. Tea cultivation needs an ideal pH between 4.5 and 5.5. The temperature may vary from 16°C to 32°C, and annual rainfall should be 125 cm to 150 cm, which is well distributed over 8-9 months in a year. The performance of tea is best at elevations ranging from 1000 m to 2500 m.

Season and Plantation

The best season for tea plantations in India is May - June or September – October for South-West and North-East monsoon areas. In the plantation process, the sleeves should be opened lengthwise without injuring the roots and planted in the pit, and the soil should be gently pressed. Nowadays, single hedge or double hedge contour planting system is followed.

• Single Hedge System - In this method, the spacing adopted is 1.20 m x 0.75 m, accommodating 10,800 plants per hectare.
• Double Hedge System - In this method, the spacing adopted is 1.35 m x 0.75 m x 0.75 m, accommodating 13,200 plants per hectare.

Irrigation and Manuring

• Subsoil irrigation may be given to the young tea seedlings in the months of the summer season.
• The process of manuring should take place after 2 months of plantation. Fertilisers should be applied before the onset of the monsoon season. 

Training and Pruning

Training and pruning are essential steps in the cultivation of tea. In the young tea plant, removing the growing point leaving 8 to 10 mature leaves from the bottom, is done to induce secondaries. Pruning is done to:

• maintain to convenient height for plucking.
• get more vegetative growth.
• remove the knots and interlaced branches.
• remove dead wood and branches.

Rejuvenation pruning, Hard pruning, medium pruning, Light pruning and Skiffing are some common types of pruning practiced in India.

Pest and Disease Management

Harvesting

Plucking consists of harvesting 2 to 3 leaves and a bud. In India, a tea plantation is a labour-intensive operation that decides the tea's yield and quality. The duration of the tea crops gets old after 3 years. During the rush period, the harvesting of the crops is done at an interval of 7-10 days, whereas during the lean period, harvesting is done at an interval of 10-15 days. 

Top Tea Producing States in India

 Indian Tea Exports

According to IBEF, India is among the world's top 5 tea exporters, making about 10% of the total exports. India's total tea exports during 2022-23 in quantity were 228.40 million kg and worth US$ 793.78 million. During the financial year 2021-22 period, India exported tea in quantity of 200.79 million kg worth US$ 726.82 million. Indian Assam, Darjeeling, and Nilgiri tea are considered one of the finest tea varieties in the world. The majority of the tea exported out of India is black tea, which is about 96% of the total exports. The following are the types of tea exported through India:

• Black tea
• Regular tea
• Green tea
• Herbal tea
• Masala tea
• Lemon tea

Out of these, black tea, regular tea, and green tea make up approximately 80%, 16% and 3.5% of the total tea exported from India respectively.

Government Initiatives to support Tea Production in India

The Government has launched a Tea Development and Promotion Scheme to promote tea production in India. This scheme was launched in November 2021 by the Tea Board of India for 2021-26. This scheme aims to enhance the productivity and quality of tea production in India. The government is helping farmers by providing the following benefits in terms of financial assistance - 

• The government is providing subsidies for equipment such as a pruning machine, mechanical harvester, brush cutter, etc., @ 25% of the actual cost of the equipment. 
• To obtain organic certification or renew the certification, the government is providing 50% of the cost of the accreditation empanelled by the tea board/APEDA under the National Program for Organic Production (NPOP). 
• To set up a factory, the government assists by FPO at 40% of the actual cost with a ceiling limit of Rs. 2 crores/factory. 

There are seven essential components to this scheme:

• Plantation development of small tea farmers
• Worker's welfare
• Creation of sector-specific action plan for North East India
• Research and development activities
• Supporting the tea producers and traders in market promotion activities
• Regulatory reforms
• Establishment expenses

In conclusion, India’s tea industry is paramount in promoting agricultural diversity and cultural heritage. States like West Bengal, Assam and Tamil Nadu contribute unique flavours and characteristics to the vast array of Indian teas. The government is giving subsidies to the farmers for the equipment such as a pruning machine, mechanical harvester, brush cutter, etc. Farmers are getting more employed and earning additional income through tea plantation in India.