Multiple mudslides buried tea workers in their homes in Mundakkai and Chooralmala.
Landslides In Wayanad Cause High Death Toll
This year’s monsoon has been devastating. In Kerala’s Wayanad district – an important tea region – several landslides on July 30 led to the loss of lives. At last check, 108 people were reported dead, with many still missing. Heavy rains continue even as rescue work has commenced. The landslides struck when people were asleep. This is the worst natural disaster in the state after the 2018 floods. Wayanad, located in the Western Ghats, is vulnerable to landslides. People here are mainly plantation workers – working in tea and cardamom estates. Rescue operations have been affected by the continued rain, and air relief has not been possible. The BBC reported that nearly 350 families have been affected.
We have been following up on the Wayanad rescue. As of Thursday evening, the death toll stood at 295. The worst affected are the Mundakkai and Chooralmala villages. Before-and-after photos of these villages are online. The BBC reported that 1,600 people had been affected from the tea estates and villages in the area. 82 relief camps have been set up, and 8,000 people have been moved there. Relief operations continue, and the army has been called in to help.
Kangra Reports A Poor Season So Far
Kangra in Himachal Pradesh, in north India, has reported a poor season so far. Once renowned for its green tea, the region has fought to rebuild its tea industry. This year, climate change has been a challenge with dry weather and no rain. Production dropped by about 20%. Without warehouse access, tea must be transported to Kolkata, where it is sold via auctions. Kolkata auctions have seen poor demand from the export market. These have seen low prices – about a 50% drop from last year – for Kangra’s teas. The farmers are asking for greater state government support, regional warehousing facilities, and more avenues to sell the tea in the state, including at the famous Golden Temple at Amritsar. Tribune India
Tea Board Issues Closing Dates for 2024
The Tea Board has announced the last dates for plucking for gardens in north India, including Darjeeling, Dooars, Terai, Sikkim, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Bihar, on 30 November. The last date for processing green leaf is set at 2 December.
Lindsay Lohan TV Ad Advocates Office Tea Breaks | Suez Shipping Disruptions Intensify | Botanists Identify the Gene that Causes Tea Leaf Droopiness | PLUS Revitalizing Kumaon | A century ago, Kumaon’s high-mountain estates were abandoned. The formerly productive tea fields lay fallow until an enterprising young entrepreneur marshaled the resources of US-based Frontier Co-op and USAID’s Cooperative Development Program to benefit hundreds of tea smallholders.
Raj Vable, founder of Young Mountain Tea in Marquette, Mich., inspired the villagers in the Kumar region to create a new era of economic resiliency and autonomy. The solar-powered factory with state-of-the-art equipment will process regeneratively grown certified organic tea in four styles available in retail locations by November. Vable writes, “We hope our model serves as a blueprint that can be replicated and improved upon so we can all collectively raise the bar on transparent sourcing, regenerative agriculture, and smallholder farmer equity.”
Actress and producer Lindsay Lohan appears in a new television commercial and social media campaign urging tea drinkers to take a break at work. The commercial, financed by the Pepsi Lipton Tea Partnership, features Pure Leaf, the top-selling ready-to-drink tea brand in the US. The minute-plus spot is the first national multimillion-dollar tea advertising campaign since the pandemic.
The Pure Leaf brand also launched a US-only coupon giveaway of a free bottle to enjoy on your next tea break. Text 737-377-3774 between June 27 and July 25 to receive a bottle or visit. PureLeaf.com/TeaBreak
In the commercial, Lohan, who has starred in several Netflix original films in the past few years and is currently filming Freaky Friday 2 with Jamie Lee Curtis, asks, QUOTE “When was the last time you took a break? I mean a real break. It’s like we forgot breaks even exist. Standing on an office coffee table, she shouts “it’s time for a tea break.” We all deserve a moment to recharge and revitalize ourselves. Soon the office staff is headed out the door chanting “tea break, tea break” and chugging Pure Leaf.
Edelman made the humorous 90-second spot, supported by research that reveals “three in five workers struggle to take breaks during the workday, and more than half of workers feel too busy or interrupted by work to take a refreshing break. Nearly two-thirds of the 1010 full-time workers surveyed feel mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. However, sixty-three percent (63%) of workers surveyed noted that when they take quality breaks, they return recharged for what’s next*.
Pure Leaf sales exceeded $985 million in mass market and convenience outlets in 2023, compared to competitors Arizona’s $956 million and Lipton’s $561 million. Globally, the RTD market is forecast to increase by $27.7 billion, a 25% growth rate, from 2024 to an estimated $138.15 billion in 2028. An accompanying press release explains, “The Pure Leaf Tea Break campaign encourages workers to challenge today’s hustle culture with a centuries-old workplace ritual—a quality tea break—and the first bottle is Pure Leaf Iced Tea. Lindsay Lohan said, “We owe it to ourselves to take a moment each day to pause, recharge, and revitalize. I’m proud to partner with Pure Leaf to promote the importance of taking a daily tea break because no matter what you do, we all deserve the time to reset and refresh. For me, prioritizing breaks is essential for all of the roles I juggle, allowing me to return stronger and more restored.” Pure Leaf and Mind Share Partners are providing tips for making the most of work breaks and posting examples of “away on a break” messages online. “To support the cultural shift toward better breaks at an organizational level, Pure Leaf is also launching the Pure Leaf Tea Break Grant program in partnership with Mind Share Partners. This initiative will provide funding for small businesses and non-profits to implement break initiatives aimed at promoting employee revitalization,” according to the release. Julie Raheja-Perera, General Manager/VP – Pepsi Lipton Partnership North America, says, “At Pure Leaf, we are intentional about how we craft our delicious real brewed iced teas so you can feel refreshed and revitalized. We know many people are not taking enough quality breaks during the workday, so we’re launching the Pure Leaf Tea Break to remind people that a moment to reset is very important. Revitalization is just a sip away with our delicious, iced teas made from a few high-quality, simple ingredients and naturally occurring caffeine from tea leaves.”
Red Sea Growing More Dangerous to Shipping
Suez Shipping Disruptions Intensify
The Red Sea skirmishes, a significant factor in the ongoing shipping crisis, have increased sinkings, indicating that the crisis is far from over.
A surge in global freight rates, reaching over $4,200 per 40ft container in May 2024 – the highest on record – has put a significant financial strain on tea exports and other goods since October 2023.
Tea exports are currently at their peak following the spring harvest. India’s peak is from April through June, Sri Lanka’s is from May through August, and Kenya’s is from January to June.
Demand for tea in Europe is slack, which has helped avoid a serious shortage of tea imports, but the added cost of landing tea from Africa, South Asia, and the Far East cannot be ignored. One German-based retailer told Tea Biz that they are shipping tea by rail from China, which is faster and cheaper than shipping tea around Africa.
Since the beginning of the year, the Drewry composite container index has averaged $3,579 per 40-ft container, $831 higher than the 10-year average. Containers are in short supply and out of place because ships are not transporting empties. The cost of shipping tea from China to the US ports has also increased by 69% from April through May 24.
The Houthis have launched 50 missile and drone attacks since October, killing four. In the latest, the Yemen-based, Iran-backed militants used explosive-laden drone boats to slow or disable large vessels that are then targeted by ballistic missiles. A “double tap” on June 19 destroyed the Tudor, a bulk carrier. Two more successful missile attacks followed, disabling another bulk carrier. The Houthis sank their first ship in March. Fuel and insurance costs have increased due to higher risk and because ships spend more days at sea. Lloyd’s of London reports a £1.1 billion expense associated with underwriting unrecoverable planes and cargoes in Ukraine since the onset of the war.
Only 4% of war claims have been processed.
Egyptian authorities say revenue plummeted by several hundred million dollars due to the Red Sea skirmishes.
According to Egypt’s Minister of Finance, traffic through the Suez Canal declined by 64% in May, lowering revenue to $334 million, more than 50% lower year-over-year. Losses in late 2023 amounted to $150 million. Only 1,111 ships traversed the canal in May, compared to 2,396 ships in May 2023. Tonnage is down 68.5% to 45 million tons. About 15% of trade by volume transits the canal annually. The canal is the shortest maritime route between Europe and Asia.
According to the International Monetary Fund, ship traffic transiting the Cape of Good Hope has surged 74% above 2023 totals. A drought that limits the capacity of ships transiting the Panama Canal, where trade volume is down 32% compared to 2023, further complicates the situation for shippers.
Genetic cause of Tea Leaf Droop visible in tea plants
Botanists Identify the Gene that Causes Tea Leaf Droop
Researchers at the Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences report finding a gene that could transform the tea industry’s approach to mechanical harvesting.
An estimated 70% of the world’s tea is now sheared or mechanically plucked, but in most instances, the leaves gathered are damaged, yielding a relatively small percentage of “perfectly plucked” two leaves and a bud. Instead of snipping whole leaves at their base, leaves on stems that bend or droop are cut into small pieces and later discarded during the sorting process.
The study identified the CsEXL3 gene and gene regulator CsBES1.2 as the source of weak stems. Their findings, first published in the peer-reviewed journal Horticulture Research, could improve harvesting by minimizing leaf damage, leading to better-tasting tea.
Planters turn to mechanical harvesters to reduce labor expenses and improve efficiency by increasing the number of rounds while lowering costs.
One of the lead researchers, Dr. Jiedan Chen, writes that discovering the gene and its regulatory pathway “offers a promising genetic target for breeding tea plants better suited for mechanical harvesting, potentially revolutionizing the tea industry.”
Haoran Liu et al. explain that CsEXL3 regulates mechanical harvest-related droopy leaves under the transcriptional activation of CsBES1.2 in tea plants, Horticulture Research (2024). DOI: 10.1093/hr/uhae074
BIZ INSIGHT – In 1952, Agronomist Norman Borlaug learned of the sturdy stems of dwarf wheat in Japan. For his experiments, he obtained seeds with the stem-strengthening gene. Working with a USDA plant breeder at Washington State University, he developed disease-resistant plants that yielded more wheat per acre than any known cultivar. The wheat was first planted in Mexico, and by 1956, Mexico was producing enough wheat to be self-sufficient. Borlaug’s cultivars, which produced 14 times more wheat than previous cultivars, were introduced worldwide, averting famine and saving an estimated one billion lives, including several million people in India’s great famine. Borlaug would earn a Nobel Prize and became known as the father of the Green Revolution.
FEATURE
Raj Vable, Founder of Young Mountain Tea
Tea Rebellion: Anatomy of a Purpose-Driven Brand
By Dan Bolton
Raj Vable, founder of Young Mountain Tea in Marquette, Mich., inspired the villagers of Kumaon to create a new era of economic resiliency and autonomy. The solar-powered factory with state-of-the-art equipment will process regeneratively grown certified organic tea in four styles available in retail locations by November. Vable writes, “We hope our model serves as a blueprint that can be replicated and improved upon so we can all collectively raise the bar on transparent sourcing, regenerative agriculture, and smallholder farmer equity.”
Raj founded Young Mountain Tea in 2013 as a social enterprise to provide a sustainable future for farmers, 90% of whom are women. He graduated from the University of Michigan and later earned an MS in environmental science from the University of Oregon. He first traveled to Kumaon as a Global Partner with AVANI, spending a year developing a permaculture tea cultivation program involving 300 farmers. He was named a Fulbright-Nehru Scholar in 2013 and worked in Almora, India, before returning to the US as a Rural Venture Catalyst in Oregon’s Regional Accelerator Innovation Network.
Lindsay Lohan TV Ad Advocates Office Tea Breaks | Suez Shipping Disruptions Intensify | Botanists Identify the Gene that Causes Tea Leaf Droopiness | PLUS Revitalizing Kumaon | A century ago, Kumaon’s high-mountain estates were abandoned. The formerly productive tea fields lay fallow until an enterprising young entrepreneur marshaled the resources of US-based Frontier Co-op and USAID’s Cooperative Development Program to benefit hundreds of tea smallholders. | Episode 175 | 5 July 2024
The All Assam Small Tea Growers’ Association has pledged to work to improve the quality of Assam tea. The association has appealed to its members to stop using banned pesticides. They are conducting workshops to raise awareness about tea safety and permissible pesticides. And seem keen to change the perception that small tea growers are dragging down the quality of tea. Some samples of green leaf from small tea growers got a clean chit after testing at the Tea Research Association at Jorhat. What they seek in return for producing clean leaf is remunerative prices.
India Tea Production for 2024 Sees 60 Million Kilo Decline
The Tea Association of India has issued a press release to raise concerns about the drastic drop in tea production in north India in the first and second flush. The cause has been the severe lack of rainfall and excessive heat which this region has seen all year. The Association estimates a reduction of around 60 million kilograms by the end of June 2024, compared to the same period last year. By April, Assam had an 8% drop compared to the same period last year, while West Bengal saw a 13% decline. Things took a turn for the worse in May, with a 20% and 40% drop in production compared to 2023 in Assam and West Bengal, respectively. While West Bengal saw a 50% to 80% reduction in rainfall in major tea districts, Assam saw a 10% to 30% shortfall. It also means possible heavy monsoons with above-normal rainfall that further exacerbate the situation.
India’s Tocklai Tea Research Institute in Jorhat announced the winners of the 2024 Tech Brew Hackathon competition, held on International Tea Day. The winning students received 50,000 rupees for tackling their choice of five industry challenges. Teams from 20 universities participated, submitting projects addressing tea waste, marketing and promotion, and climate change. A panel of nine tea industry experts judged the projects.
The top three teams are Team Orthodox, representing the Assam Science & Technology University with a novel non-chemical pest control solution; the second prize goes to Team Neuro Linga at the PSG Institute of Technology and Applied Research in Coimbatore for designing an integrated weather and crop health monitoring system. Team Doodle, also from PSG, proposed a network of sensors that monitor plant conditions for growers, signaling areas of concern. A resource website with a chatbot informed by a machine-learning AI model will assess their concerns and suggest remedies.
Pranjit Barman demonstrates the Spectro Smoke Drone
Hackathon Focuses Youthful Attention on Pressing Problems.
By Dan Bolton
Tea Research Institute Secretary Joydeep Phukan said the “hackathon marks a significant milestone in bringing technological innovation to one of India’s most vital industries. I’m proud to announce the successful conclusion of the first-ever tea Tech Brew National Hackathon, a groundbreaking event aimed at addressing the challenges faced by the Indian Tea Industry.”
Phukan said the event was organized “under the esteemed leadership of Chairperson Nayantara Palchoudhuri, Tocklai staff, and industry professionals who judged the competition.”
Team Orthodox
The winning students, Team Leader Pragyan Sen Deka, 23, and Pranjit Barman, 22, designed a drone-mounted hyperspectral imaging eye that roams tea gardens, searching for indications of pest infestations. Suspended below the drone is a smoke chamber that delivers natural fumigants that pests avoid.
Pragyan Sen Deka
Fumigating crops with low-hanging smoke is an ancient, effective, and non-chemical method of driving pests away. Winning team leader Pragyan Sen Deka describes how a modern “Spectro Smoke” generator heats ferns and grass with electrically controlled nichrome wire, producing a downward-driven column of smoke that rises to the underside of leaves and drives away pests like the tea mosquito, one of several insects that reduces tea yields in India by an estimated 147 million kilos a year.
“This innovation promises to transform how we approach pest control, ensuring healthier crops and a more sustainable future for tea plantations,” writes Phukan.
The Spectro Smoke Drone has 1000kv 10-inch propellers producing around 3500g peak thrust. Its max payload capacity is around 2kg. The drone is powered by a 4000mah lipo battery, which gives it a flight duration of 15-18 minutes with no payload. The transmitter is the 2.4GHz FS i6, with a range of 1.5 km.
Team Neuro Linga (second place)
The second prize goes to Team Neuro Linga at the PSG Institute of Technology and Applied Research in Coimbatore for designing an integrated weather and crop health monitoring system.
“Their innovative solution impressively combines AI and IoT to tackle pest control and crop health. Using sensors, cameras, and smart technologies, they’ve developed a comprehensive system that not only repels pests but also monitors and predicts pest outbreaks, ensuring healthier crops and a more sustainable future for the tea industry,” writes Phukan.
Team Doodle (third place)
Their innovative solution features a specialized RAG (retrieval augmented generation) model for tea pest detection, designed to minimize computational resources while delivering precise, domain-specific results. Utilizing a Phi2 model with 2 million parameters and an image classification model (ResNet), Team Doodle leverages research papers, and articles scraped via Jina AI to ensure accuracy and relevance. Additionally, minimal hardware is used to collect environmental data such as temperature and moisture, helping to prevent pest outbreaks with accurate and timely detection.
“Team Doodle’s approach represents a significant advancement in sustainable pest management for the tea industry. It combines cutting-edge AI with practical environmental monitoring,” writes Phukan.
Problems to Solve
Here is a list of problems students were asked to address:
Problem Statement 1: The tea industry faces significant challenges due to climate change, including water scarcity, temperature fluctuations, and soil degradation. Develop a technology-driven solution to help tea farmers adapt to changing climatic conditions, optimize water usage, and maintain soil health to ensure sustainable tea cultivation.
Problem Statement 2: Tea crops are vulnerable to various pests and diseases, which can devastate tea crops within a short period. Develop a predictive model using data analytics and machine learning to forecast outbreaks of pests and diseases, enabling pre-emptive action to protect crops and reduce the reliance on chemical pesticides.
Problem Statement 3: With climate change and changing weather patterns, the incidence of pest management has increased, with certain pests such as the Tea Mosquito Bug, Looper Caterpillar, and Green Thrips causing havoc in tea plantations. Develop technologies based on airwaves, sound waves, or biocontrol to control the outbreak of the Tea Mosquito Bug, Looper Caterpillar, and Green Thrips to showcase how it works in tea plantations.
Problem Statement 4: The tea plant Camellia sinensis is a wonder plant. Tea leaves are harvested to make various types of tea. The tea plant also produces tea seeds and flowers. Tea is high in various properties, such as antioxidants and flavonoids. Propose methods and technologies to convert tea into diversified products using tea leaves and waste using innovative technology.
Problem Statement 5: Tea is the second most consumed beverage after water globally. However, there is intense competition for tea as a beverage over other products. Some of the products sold as tea are not from the plant Camellia Sinensis. Develop technology-based solutions to promote tea amongst people from age 10 to 35 years, highlighting its many health benefits, which should be innovative and scalable to make tea the most sought-after drink. One may add non-technology-based suggestions to justify their technologies.
Hackathon Judges
Ms N Palchoudhuri, Chairperson TRA
Mr Dan Bolton, Tea Journalist, Canada
Mr S K Saria, Chairman, NBC TRA
Mr Kailyanjeet Borah, Vice Chairman Agriculture Committee TRA
Mr Abhijeet Hazarika, Tsigma Consultancy
Mr Jai Kejriwal, Council Member TRA
Dr Anoop Barooah, former Director TRA
Dr A Babu, Director TRA
Joydeep Phukan, Secretary TRA
Tea Research Association – Tocklai Institute
To delve into the science and processes behind a good cuppa, visit the Tocklai Institute, the world’s largest and oldest tea research center (founded in 1911). The labs there research microorganisms that inhibit plant disease and promote growth. There is also a tea museum and model tea factory exhibiting the machines that turn leaves into teapot-ready tea.
History
The establishment of the Scientific Department of the Indian Tea Association (ITA) in 1900 marked the beginning of a new era of tea research in India. This was consolidated with the creation of the Tocklai Experimental Station in 1911.
The formation of the Tea Research Association (TRA) in 1964, with Tocklai at the center of all activities, further expanded the horizon of tea research to cover the entire Northeast India. Research on all aspects of tea cultivation and processing is carried out at the Tocklai Tea Research Institute, Jorhat, the world’s oldest and largest research station. Transfer of technology to its member estates is carried out through its advisory network covering 1,076 tea estates occupying 341,049 hectares (1,317 sq mi) of land spread over The South Bank, North Bank, Upper Assam, Cachar, Tripura, Dooars, Darjeeling and Terai. Tocklai has its regional R & D Centre at Nagrakata, West Bengal.
The organization undertakes basic and applied research on tea cultivation and processing in northeast India. A large chunk of the research work is done at Tocklai, while area-specific research for Dooars is carried out at NBRRDC, Nagrakata. Research on the pharmacological properties of black tea is carried out in collaboration with Kolkata and other institutes across India. The technologies developed through R&D activities are disseminated to the member gardens through a wide network of advisory personnel who conduct regular hands-on demonstrations and workshops.
Photos courtesy Team Orthodox | Tocklai Tea Research Center
Share this post India’s Tocklai Tea Research Institute in Jorhat announced the winners of the 2024 Tech Brew Hackathon competition, held on International Tea Day. The winning students received 50,000 rupees for tackling their choice of five industry challenges. Teams from 20 universities participated. | Episode 171 | 7 June 2024
Iran halts Indian tea imports, forcing growers and traders to find new markets.
Iran Halts Tea Imports From India
Iran, one of India’s big tea markets, has suddenly halted imports of tea and rice from India. No reason was given, although government officials have been quoted as saying this could be a retaliatory response as India stopped imports of kiwi and peaches from Iran. Another point raised was that Iran wanted India to restart buying oil. The Mint reported that Iran’s rice imports for April- September 2023 stood at $641.66 million, while tea imports for January- September 2023 stood at $66.39 million, valued second to the UAE. The tea bodies are waiting for Iran’s responses on the reasons for stopping imports.
NETA Asks For Ban On Six Pesticides
Representatives from the North Eastern Tea Association have submitted a memorandum to the state agriculture minister with an appeal to prohibit the stock, sale, and distribution of six pesticides – Cypermethrin, Acephate, Imidacloprid, Acetamiprid, Dinotefuran, and Fipronil. These pesticides are banned for tea, and the association said that testing of teas showed MRL ( maximum residue levels) residues indicating the use of these chemicals. The association said that these six pesticides contributed to much of the problems attached to the lack of food safety compliance.
Kangra Tea Seeks Government Intervention
The Kangra tea industry is awaiting some interventions from the state government to revive and promote their tea industry. The land under tea cultivation and crop have dropped significantly in recent years as it has been losing its viability. Three of the four government factories also remain closed. The tea association here has asked for greater support, especially in increasing the state’s tea tourism opportunities.
