Himalayan Times (1953)

Six

March 15, 1953

i-'Milaijan (Time®

RECENT CRISIS IN TEA INDUSTRY CAN BE MET

SRI SHIV KUMAR RAI

Tea Industry occupies a very im-
portant place in the economy of the
country It produces over (520 million
lbs, of tea every year and 'employs wor-
kers to the extent of about one million.
AbJilt -three-fourth of the total tc-a
produced in Tndia is exported every year
an 1 as a foreign exchange, earner tea is
only second to jute. During 1951-52,
India exported tea worth Rs. 93 30
crore, the hard currency countries taking
nearly Rs. 11 crore worth of it. West
Bengal has 279 tea estates employing
219,42(5 .workers. During 1949 51 out
of the average world supply of 1,158
million lbs.1 India’s average share was
(5 )7 million lbs. of which West Bengal’s
averago contribution was 109-20 million ,
lbs. t

The, ttla industry /had had years
o'f prosperity and following the outbreak
of war in.-Korea in June 1950, there
was a boom in prices which was mainly
djie to the stock piling of .the commo-
dity in the major countries of the world.
Since -July 1951, however, a downward
tre.nd in prices has .set in.

The factors . responsible for. the pre-
sent crisis ai'efall ip prices, rise in C'>-t
of production and excess of. supply over
demand. I he industry is having’a major
reverse*almost every.ten years and these
reverses are mostly due to stock piling
of the comthodity on the eve of or
during the w.ars'by the major countries
which accumulate l^jige stocks -of tea
f>t. meeting the -large demands of the
army navy, air luteo and such other
military personnel. \\ hen the” fighting
nations suddenly stop fighting and release
huge stocks ol tea swamping the markets,
the prices gradually go down.

At one time India had a sole
monopoly in the world’s tea market,
but now she is facing a keen competi
tion from such tea producing countries
as Indonesia Risr. Africa, Oevlon, Pakis-
tan China and Japan. Worlds produc-
tion of tea his in -reused at a rate much
greater thin that of world consumption
We are thin faced with over-production
and we have to depend on U K.U.SA.,
Canada and other countries for its dispo-
sal. If th\y fail lo lift their entire,
quota or if the demand for Indian tea
in foreign countries decreases, we are
sure to face a crisis, 'These are tl e
factors which have brought about the
present slump in ihe indus<ry.

We are quite aware of the grave
situation facing the tet industry, parti-
cularly the tea gardens in Darjeeling to
which the Indian Tea Association have
variously attracted the attention of
Government. Tea estates in Darjeeling
have widespread unemployment among
the workers and many of : ho gardens
would be forced fo . close down, it the
situation remain unchanged Government
have been trying 'their utmost to give,
more amenities and (aciliths to the tea
garden workers whose interests have been
protected through legislations passed from
time to time There was a time, when
the tea estate management’s word was
law and the workers could be evicted
without notice from their hearths and
homes. At that time India was being
ruled by the foreigners. With the inde-
pendence of India and the heavy burden
of administration has fallen on our
shoulders.

As we have been trying to safe-
guard the interests of the workers, we