Weather extremes are shriveling harvests on India's tea plantations, endangering the future of an industry famed for iconic varieties such as Assam and Darjeeling, while reshaping a global trade estimated at more than $10 billion a year.

Assam

India's tea industry, valued at $10 billion annually, is under threat due to extreme weather conditions affecting Assam, which produces more than half of the nation's tea. Prolonged dry spells, sudden heavy rains, and reduced monsoon rainfall have caused significant crop losses, with some estates reporting up to a 35% decline in output. 

In 2024, India's overall tea production fell by nearly 8%, largely attributed to Assam's sharp decline. Scientists warn that ongoing changes in rainfall patterns will continue to impact yields, making it harder for producers to reinvest and maintain plantations. The drop in output is expected to reduce exports, and with similar issues affecting other major tea-producing countries, global prices may rise.

Drier weather threatens India's tea exports as leaves wilt

Weather extremes are severely impacting India's 200-year-old tea industry. In Assam, which produces over half the country's tea output, harvests are shriveling. As plantations here grapple with erratic weather patterns, India's $10 billion-a-year industry could be endangered. Mildly warm, humid conditions are essential for the delicate leaves in Assam's tea-growing districts. But lengthy dry spells and sudden intense rains are disrupting growth, leaving them discoloured, blotched and full of holes. This tea estate has been in Mrigendra Jalan's family for over 80 years. But he said climate change is now devastating their business. I may sound dramatic, but last year we almost went bankrupt. Other planters in the region, he added, were facing a similar fate. In 2024, India's tea production reported a drop of almost 8 per cent, largely due to Assam's sharp decline in output. Jalan's son, Ratiun Jai, said that their estate saw a crop loss of almost 35 per cent. Last year was one of the worst years that the tea industry in Assam has suffered due to high temperatures. We had drought in the months of May. We had almost floods in the month of June and then again a drought in July. The monsoon season is the region's sole source of rainfall, but this year brought significantly less water. Tea Research Association scientists say rainfall has dropped by over 10 inches in a century, and these continuing effects will have a, quote, serious impact on production. These falling yields make companies' tasks of reinvesting in plantations and replacing ageing bushes much harder. This stall in output is expected to shrink India's exports as domestic tea drinking continues. And with other key tea producers like Kenya and Sri Lanka grappling with the same conditions, a lower global supply could end up hiking prices.

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