Advent of monsoon has started ringing alarm bell for the tea planters in Darjeeling as well as entire tea belt in North-eastern India. The region hosts high propensity of natural calamities like thunderstorm, heavy rainfall or hailstorm, especially during this pre monsoon season. Though highly affected by the climatic whims, tea is yet to find any insurance coverage against adverse weather conditions despite demand of the planters since long.

Meteorological record clearly shows the tea belt of Bengal or Assam in a tough climatic zone. As per the Ministry of Earth Science report for the period 15th March to 15th June 2014, against nationwide total 3608 incidents of storms, this region witnessed 473 incidents, highest in the country. "The pattern here is same in this year too. It is a common trend," said G. N. Raha, Senior expert in Indian Meteorology Department.

After remaining almost dry during entire winter till 25th March, Darjeeling hills and Sub Himalayan West Bengal has started witnessing a sudden spurt of heavy rainfall. It has been recorded as 61% higher than this region's long term average for this period.

"All these at this heavy plucking season every year cause huge commercial loss. But more alarmingly, heavy rain for longer period or high intensity hailstorm cause long term health loss for tea bushes," said tea expert and Advisory Officer of Tea Research Association D. Bargohain.

"Small growers with limited loss bearing capacity are worst sufferers," said Bijoy Gopal Chakroborty, Secretary of Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers Associations ( CISTA). In India, small tea growers contribute near 35% to the national yield.

"We are demanding insurance coverage against climatic situations like draught, rain, hailstorm, frost or snow fall since long. It is there for coffee or rubber, but not for Tea," said Chakroborty.

"Discussion was initiated with Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited to design weather based crop insurance scheme for tea. Meteorology department was also requested to provide long duration weather data for every tea producing regions for that," G. Boriah, former Director, Indian Tea Board (ITB), said.

But, "We are yet to find any such scheme at ground level," said S. Seal, a senior planter from Terai region in West Bengal. When contacted, an ITB director said on condition of anonymity, "A proposal on this has been sent to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry long back. Now it depends on when and how the ministry responds."

However, "Not only small tea gardens, weather based insurance will be a blessing for organized plantations too," said Seal.

Source - http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/