India: Assam tea industry faces climate-driven labor crisis
Plantations in Assam produce more than half of India's tea. But rising heat is hurting yields, workers are increasingly leaving for more stable work, and producers are feeling the squeeze of stagnant tea prices.
Assam, a northeastern state in India, is grappling with a climate-driven labor crisis affecting its tea industry. Recent floods have disrupted work in the region, further adding to the uncertainty faced by tea garden workers. Bidesh Kamar and Sumitra Tanti, workers in the tea industry, express growing concerns over the unpredictable weather patterns and low wages.
Kamar, who has worked in tea plantations for 15 years, is contemplating a change in his career path, while Tanti laments the lack of dependability in their livelihood. Assam produces about 52% of India's tea and employs around 700,000 plantation workers and 140,000 small tea growers. However, the industry is struggling to retain experienced workers due to declining profitability, uncertain working conditions, and the lure of better job opportunities elsewhere.
Overproduction has led to price drops, while increasing labor, fertilizer, and fuel costs are putting pressure on producers. Small growers, who produce nearly half of Assam's tea, face additional challenges as they have limited bargaining power and must sell their leaves at low prices to factories. The industry is also facing the impact of erratic rainfall, rising temperatures, and new pests, which reduce yields and make traditional tea-growing areas more vulnerable.
Extreme heat, with temperatures regularly reaching 36°C to 40°C, puts both tea plants and workers under severe stress. This has resulted in a labor crisis, with plantation workers earning around 250 to 280 Indian Rupees (€2.30–€2.60 or $2.63-$2.94) a day, while unions demand wages of 350 to 500 Rupees to reflect the rising cost of living.
Moreover, absenteeism in some tea-growing districts has reportedly reached more than 50%. Harkirat Singh Sidhu, a veteran tea planter, emphasizes the need for the industry to adapt and adopt regenerative farming practices, upgraded drainage networks, shade canopy management, and reduced reliance on chemical pesticides. He predicts that labor issues will only worsen, making mechanization a necessity rather than an option.
Written by urgent.news from DW English (Top Stories)'s reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- India: Assam tea industry faces climate-driven labor crisis dw.com
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