The Nilgiris: Tea plantations are the main landscape of the Nilgiris with over 65,000 farmers into tea cultivation for their livelihood.
The Nilgiris: Tea plantations are the main landscape of the Nilgiris with over 65,000 farmers into tea cultivation for their livelihood.
During the months of December and January, yield of tea leaves are generally affected due to heavy frost. However, the yield normally increases with summer showers. But, this year, the drought in tea plantations continue, owing to delay of rains. Due to this, both the green leaf yield and vegetable harvest have been widely affected.
This year, there has arisen a new menace in tea plantations. Many farmers in Kundah who rely wholly on tea plantations for a living opine that along with high temperatures during the day and frost at night, tea leaves have had 'red spider mites' which have greatly affected the yield of green tea leaves. "These red spider mites are on the rise daily, due to which farmers working in plantations too suffer from itching skin.
These red spider mites continue to spread, in spite of the spraying of insecticides. Rain is the only solution. Since we have incurred major loss due to this, we are unable to provide for our families. So, the Government should provide some compensation to us," they added.