The year 2018 has begun on a setback for the tea producers in the Nilgiris as production in the opening month has fallen below January 2017 levels and the normal as measured by the five-year mean for the month.

Tea companies in the district have reported to the Tea Board that their production in January dropped to 0.73 million kg (mkg) from 0.82 mkg in January 2017, marking a decline of 10.97 per cent.

The five-year mean production for January is 0.89 mkg. That means, this year has opened with the production falling as much as 17.98 per cent less than the normal output for January.

Adverse weather is said to be the cause for this crop loss. Besides the lack of rains, there were huge losses due to frost-bite.

Due to low temperature, about 280 hectares of tea fields were reportedly affected by frost in January. Most such fields were in the low lying belts of Udhagamandalam and Kundah. Half of this area is reported to have suffered severe frost bite. Tea planters contend that it would take quite some months for the affected the tea bushes to come back to bearing stage.

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