India’s tea industry has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, with upwards of 1 million tea estate farmers and owners facing hardships because of the failing crop, low cash flow and zero revenue, Vahdam Tea reports.
“The timing of the lockdown could not have come at a worse time,” says Vahdam Founder Bala Sarda. “In North Indian tea estates, plucking for the 2020 season had just started when the close-down occurred. For Darjeeling tea estates, this meant the entire 2020 season first flush teas, which are some of the most expensive and account for nearly 20 percent of Darjeeling revenues, were lost.”