El Niño casting a shadow over tea sector in Keralam as production declines
Keralam’s tea sector sees a 2% production drop during the eight-month period from January to August, according to data complied by UPASI
El Niño's impact on rainfall in Kerala has led to a decline in tea production, affecting thousands of people who depend on the sector for income. According to the United Planters’ Association of Southern India (UPASI) Tea Research Foundation, the state's tea sector saw a 2% production drop between January and August this year. Wayanad district experienced the worst hit, with a 53% rainfall deficit and an 8.11% decline in tea production compared to the same period in 2025.
The average output in Wayanad dropped from 1,233 kg per hectare to 1,133 kg per hectare, a decrease of 100 kg per hectare. Munnar saw a slight increase in yield from 1,558 kg per hectare to 1,578 kg per hectare. Penshurst Estate in Wagamon bucked the wider trend, recording a 4.4% growth in output. In Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, drought conditions led to an 11.8% decline in yield, averaging 2,042 kg per hectare in 2025.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
