India counts losses in prime region of Darjeeling
As predicted, the Darjeeling region is suffering heavy output shortfalls due to adverse weather conditions. Production is down 12 percent between January and August of this year and may end up with an annual figure below 8 million kilograms. The shortfall is also attributed to deteriorating productivity of tea bushes, which are 80 years old on average, and a shift towards less yielding organic farming methods. Production of first flush tea, harvested around mid-May, was down 35% and the second flush crop was also lower than expected. The Darjeeling Tea Association predicts 2010 to generate one of the lowest crops in the last 40 years.