Lack of rainfall continues to plague India
Tea plantations in west Bengal and Assam continue to be affected by rain deficiency and erratic changes in the monsoon. Last year the country was plagued by lack of rain and thus experienced a plummeting output, as rain is needed for the pruned brushes to recover from stress. On average, the region should have three days of rainfall in January and February combined, yet the plantations are currently still waiting for the first showers. India is the world's largest producer of tea and has about 170,000 hectares of land under tea cultivation.