Imports From Kenya Push Assam Tea Towards Existential Crisis

Cheap tea from Sri Lanka and Nepal too affecting the industry.

- Nibir Deka

A rise in production combined with a surge in imports has caused Assam tea prices to plummet this year. Between January and June, tea imports from Kenya crossed 6.69 million kg, compared to 4.61 million kg last year—an increase of 45%.

According to data published by Kenya's Tea Board, last year the African country exported 13.7 million kg of tea to India, which was an increase of 288% over the previous year.

Major tea associations in Assam have expressed concern over increasing imports, particularly from African countries, and called for the constitution of a task force to protect the industry, a release said on Thursday. A delegation of Assam Bought Leaf Tea Manufacturers Association (ABLTMA), Bharatiya Cha Parishad (BCP) and North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) called on Tea Board India's deputy chairperson, Arunita Phukan Yadav and submitted a memorandum on issues related to imports, routing of 100% dust grade tea through auctions and compliance of norms of the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) on the use of pesticides.