Chief of McLeod Russel warns of effects of climate change
Having correctly predicted the price recovery of Indian tea back in 2005 and successfully overseen the expansion of the largest black tea producer in the world, Aditya Khaitan, managing director of McLeod Russel, expects tougher road ahead for India's tea industry. In a recent interview, Khaitan claims that despite global demand continuing to outstrip supply in the coming years, the industry faces a major challenge from the effects of climate change. River beds are rising due to heavy siltation, which leads to drainage problems and water logging. This, in turn, may damage tea bushes and impact output. According to Khaitan, the tea industry must focus on making tea bushes more resilient to weather conditions by replanting them to bring down their age. He also predicts future challenges relating to energy infrastructure and short supply of farm labor.