Growers of world-famous Darjeeling tea are going organic

Darjeeling tea is going organic. Planters switching over claim that organic production helps maintain soil fertility, even if it means lower production. Others say the planters are under pressure from buyers in developed countries.

Darjeeling tea is famed for its lightness and aroma and is in demand across the globe. Around 80% of the nearly 9,000 tonnes of tea produced annually in Darjeeling, West Bengal and surrounding areas in the Himalayas is exported to Germany, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom and other developed countries.

Soil conservation needed

“Out of the 74 tea gardens operational in Darjeeling district, around 50 have completely turned to organic production,” Sandeep Mukherjee, principal adviser to the Darjeeling Tea Association, told The Third Pole. “The rest are still following conventional methods or partly doing organic cultivation.” Darjeeling Tea Association has a membership of 63 tea gardens.

“Over the years, tea garden managements began to feel the adverse impact of global warming as tea mosquito bugs and looper caterpillars started attacking the tea plants [at higher altitudes],” Mukherjee added. “Some pests like the red spider, which was normally found at low altitudes, were seen at the height of 5,000 metres. Global warming also led to rainfall becoming erratic and washing away the topsoil. Planters who were using chemicals decided to shift to organic farming to prevent soil erosion and preserve the topsoil by planting trees in the gardens.”

A study carried out by the Darjeeling Tea Research and Development Centre found a temperature rise of 0.51 degrees Celsius from 1993 to 2012. Annual rainfall fell by 152.50 cm (total annual rainfall varies between 226.64 to 558.03 cm) and relative humidity by 16.07%.

Use of chemicals

Researchers say the rampant use of chemicals in tea gardens began in the 1960s, when farms faced a drop in production due to ageing tea bushes.

“Production began to fall as the tea bushes had survived for over 100 years [when tea plantation began in the region],” Malay Bhattacharya, assistant professor in the department of tea science at the University of North Bengal, told The Third Pole. “It would require at least 10 years to replace the bushes. But the producers felt this would mean severe losses. They resorted to the use of chemicals that enhanced the life expectancy of bushes by another 20-25 years but destroyed the soil ecosystem.”

“The presence of chemicals causes health complications by affecting the liver, kidneys and also leads to neurological problems, as tea is the only commodity that is not washed before consumption,” Bhattacharya added. “The garden owners began to realise the dangers of using excessive chemicals and decided to shift to organic farming.”

Makaibari, established in 1857, is the oldest tea garden in the world. It was the first to get an organic certification in 1988. The 248-hectare garden produces 1,00,000 kg per year, around 60% of which is exported.

“We make biodynamic vermicompost using plant stems, citronella plants, Guatemalan gamagrass, weeping lovegrass and different types of legumes,” Sanjay Das, estate manager at Makaibari, told The Third Pole. “It includes cow dung to make organic food for plants. Cow manure is also applied directly in the soil under the tea bush. We use insect repellent spray made of herbs on the field. These do not kill the insects but scare them away.”

Return of biodiversity

Planters claim the change to organic tea farming is restoring biodiversity in the gardens. “The biodiversity had almost gone extinct but now we are finding a change,” said Naresh Parekh, plantation manager of Tumsong, another tea garden.

“We can spot sparrows, deer, hornbills, leopards and an overall increase in flora and fauna,” said Naresh Parekh. “The tall trees not only provide shade to the tea bushes but also offer shelter for birds and prevent soil erosion. They have also increased the water-holding capacity of the soil and maintain the fertile topsoil. Besides, certain medical herbs which are used by the locals for treatment are also available. We have been witnessing a significant change over the past six-seven years.”

Destroyed soil

“Most of the tea gardens that claim to have turned organic are doing just 5% in a natural way,” said Himangshu Kumar Shaw, owner of Giddapahar tea garden, also in Darjeeling. “The soil has already been destroyed by conventional farming for over a century and nothing is left in it. The hills do not have sufficient supply of lactating cows and other plants used for preparing organic food. It’s all eyewash to attract foreign buyers.”

Shaw pointed out that it takes three to four years for the chemicals to leach out and to get an organic certification. Meanwhile, the costs of this labour-intensive industry remain the same. “If garden owners are making profits by selling organic tea, then why are some of them on sale, have shut operations or are running in losses?” he said.

Darjeeling tea production has fallen from a high of 14,000 tonnes in 1992 to 8,800 tonnes in 2020. The number of gardens has decreased from 87 to 74 due to mergers and closures.

Going organic

Those who have gone organic deny that it was due to pressure from buyers abroad. “The producers began to realise that the quality of tea was getting compromised in conventional farming as soil was stretched beyond [its] limit to increase production that was destined to yield diminishing returns in the long run,” Krishnendu Chatterjee, chief operating officer of Darjeeling Organic Tea Estates, told The Third Pole.

“Organic farming is feasible because it brings higher returns and helps conserve the soil.” The company Chatterjee works for runs 14 tea gardens in Darjeeling and two in Assam.

“It is a myth that organic switchover leads to a drop in production,” Chatterjee added. “We have evidence in Darjeeling, where production has increased drastically. It all depends upon the condition of the soil. We have also found tea pluckers working in organic gardens to be healthier.”

A 2017 study by a student at Sweden’s Umea University found environmental and health benefits of growing organic tea at Makaibari.

Enough fertiliser available

Planters say there is no shortage of organic fertiliser. Jeetendra Malu, president of Darjeeling Tea Association, told The Third Pole: “There is no plucking of leaves for three months [December to February].”

“That is when the tea bushes are being cleaned, pruned and mulched, Malu said. “Organic material is released by this process. The gardens become organic by default. We also use castor cake [a natural nitrogen fertiliser]. They are in good supply.”

According to Malu, “The major problem for Darjeeling tea is the increasing competition from Nepal. The 100-day lockdown in 2017 due to unrest in Darjeeling helped the Nepal tea gardens capture our markets. We are in the process of recapturing the markets.”

The undecided

Jungpana is a 142-hectare tea garden that has gone organic, except for 19 hectares. Rajiv Kumar, the deputy general manager, said the escalating cost of production and lack of buyers makes it difficult to turn completely organic.

“Darjeeling tea is known for its first flush, which is a premium tea,” Kumar said. “But there is also the monsoon flush from mid-July to mid-October that does not get good prices. We are compelled to put our tea on auction and even sell at less than the production cost. It discourages the planters as the cost of going completely organic is already high because of low production.”

However, Kumar said, even gardens that have not gone organic have reduced the amount of chemicals they use. “Global buyers will not accept tea if it [the amount of chemicals] crosses the maximum residue levels [laid down].”

This article first appeared on The Third Pole.