Indian producers pushed towards mechanization to keep costs down
Planters in India are considering mechanizing tea harvesting to keep production costs from spiraling out of control. Workers and politicians recently negotiated wage increases of up to 30% that have failed to translate into higher earnings due to subdued auction prices, leaving growers worse off than before. Also, absenteeism is rampant in tea gardens, with up to 30% of the workforce not showing up on a daily basis. This forces growers to look towards automating the harvesting process, despite many tea-growing areas not being ideal for such endeavors due to uneven or mountainous terrain. Plantations have called on the government and scientists to encourage the adoption of mechanization and the development of new technologies in robotics via appropriate infrastructure and loans.