History of Ceylon Tea

Idukki: Tea, one of the major crops in Idukki, is facing climate change issues. The Tea Board of India realized that climate resilience measures are needed to address the climate change issue in tea cultivating areas. As per the tea board’s data, due to the climate change the production level in the tea sector is impacted. It was found that a reduction of up to 10% output in South India due to the climate change and in the high range of the district, vast areas were damaged in the frost last year. During last winter season, large scale losses to the tea plantations were reported in Munnar and change in the climate was evident, stakeholders of tea sector said. The tea board joined hands with the National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC), under the ministry of environment, forest and climate change, to address the issue. The project is implemented through the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). A meeting has been held with the stakeholders of tea sector to adopt measures to address climate change, said tea board officials. The project aims to get climate change fund from the national fund for adaptation and climate change, said tea board officials.
After 85 years, over 20 days of long cold wave were recorded in Munnar on January 2019. Due to the cold wave, large scale damage occurred in the tea plantations in Munnar. Tea leaves largely wilted due to the snowfall and it affected tea production. “Due to the last cold wave, tea leaves had wilted in 888 hectares of Kannan Devan Hills Plantations Ltd (KDHP). The welted tea leaves are around 27.82 lakh kgs. Another plantation, Harrisons Malayalam Limited (HML) lost 60 hector worth tea plantation due to wilting, said officials.

After 85 years, over 20 days of long cold wave were recorded in Munnar on January 2019. Due to the cold wave, large scale damage occurred in the tea plantations in Munnar. Tea leaves largely wilted due to the snowfall and it affected tea production. “Due to the last cold wave, tea leaves had wilted in 888 hectares of Kannan Devan Hills Plantations Ltd (KDHP). The welted tea leaves are around 27.82 lakh kgs. Another plantation, Harrisons Malayalam Limited (HML) lost 60 hector worth tea plantation due to wilting, said officials.