Iran tensions keep tea exporters anxious

Iranian tea buyers are still placing orders and negotiating contracts for high-quality orthodox tea.

‘Assam tea industry in crisis due to cartel of big buyers’

Hailing the board for its decision to allow export of tea waste, it said that the guidelines in this connection should be issued at an early date.

Interestingly, Iran, under normal circumstances, buys 28-30 million kg of orthodox teas from India.

The tea body said that the wages paid to the tea garden workers were both in cash and in kind.

Between January and April this year, tea exports to Iran went up to 22.49 million kg against 9 million kg during the same period last year.

Except Dooars, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, all tea producing regions in the country have posted a decline in output so far this year.

Darjeeling is home to 87 tea gardens and the ongoing shutdown has pushed them to the brink.