Indian tea producers have been hit by challenges on the production and logistics fronts because of the Covid pandemic. E-commerce, especially for the domestic market, has helped several tea companies stay afloat amidst the gloom.
Rishi Saria, third-generation owner of the Gopaldhara and Rohini tea estates in Darjeeling, has several reasons to be worried. The Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown had badly hit first flush tea production in his estates with the main crop down from around 8,000 kg to 3,500 kg. Travel bans and lockdowns across Europe, the big export market for Darjeeling teas, have disrupted supply chains with cancellations coming in from several countries.
Further a huge segment of the domestic tea market — comprising hotels, cafes and restaurants — is in the doldrums, and the town of Darjeeling, a tourist centre and a big market for tea, has been knocked out with nationwide travel restrictions…