Wayanad Tea Estate

HERES WHY WAYANADS TEA PLANTATIONS ARE DISAPPEARED?

Several interrelated factors, including environmental, economic and social dimensions, are responsible for the demise of tea plantations in Wayanad, a picturesque district of Kerala. Wayanad, known for its rolling hills and lush tea estates, has seen a gradual decline in its tea industry, as many planters and workers face challenges.

Tea growing requires a particular climate and Wayanad, with its cool, wet weather, was once ideal. However, climate change has upset this balance. Rainfall is now unpredictable, with some areas receiving heavy rainfall while others face drought. These changes harm the tea plants, reducing their yield and quality. Frequent extreme weather events such as floods also harm the plantations.

Cultivation of tea for years without proper soil care has worsened the situation. The soil has lost nutrients and fertility, leading to soil erosion, making it difficult for tea plants to survive. As a result, many plantations are struggling to stay open.

Wayanad is part of the Western Ghats, an area with a rich biodiversity. Illegal logging and conversion of forests to farms have disturbed the natural environment. Deforestation affects tea plantations, which depend on a balanced ecosystem to thrive. Without a stable environment, the health of the tea bushes is affected, forcing some plantations to close or downsize.

Tea production is labour intensive and rising labour costs, combined with higher expenditure on fertilisers, irrigation and pest control, are reducing the profitability of tea plantations in Wayanad. For small and large plantations, it is becoming difficult to balance these rising costs with the income from tea.

Tea producers in Wayanad face stiff competition from other regions of India (such as Assam and Darjeeling) as well as countries such as Sri Lanka, Kenya and China, where tea is produced more economically. As a result, many buyers prefer cheaper alternatives, hurting Wayanad's premium tea.

Global fluctuations in tea prices, combined with lower demand for traditional tea varieties (which are conventional and less processed), have severely affected Wayanad's tea industry. Many plantations were set to produce high-quality orthodox tea, but consumer preference shifting towards cheaper varieties such as CTC (crush, tear, curl) tea means there are fewer buyers for Wayanad’s produce.

Many tea plantation owners in Wayanad, faced with low profits, are turning to more profitable crops such as coffee, pepper or betelnut. Coffee has become popular due to its better market values and its adaptability to the region's climate. As tourism has grown, some tea plantations have been converted into resorts or tourist destinations. Rising real estate values have made it more profitable for plantation owners to sell their land to developers. As a result, tea plantations are disappearing, and the land is being used for resorts, housing or other agricultural activities.

Wayanad's tea plantations relied primarily on migrant labour from Tamil Nadu. However, better employment opportunities in the cities have created a labour shortage, with young locals moving away from farm work. Worker strikes over wages and conditions have further disrupted tea production, leading to financial problems for many plantations. This combination of labour issues has made it difficult for plantations to operate smoothly.

Small tea producers in Wayanad struggle due to limited access to credit, subsidies and technical support unlike large plantations. Government policies have not effectively aided them, making it difficult for small farmers to survive. Cooperative tea factories created to aid small farmers often suffer from poor management and outdated methods. This prevents farmers from getting fair prices for their tea, causing many to lose hope in tea farming.

Priyadarshini Tea Plantation, once a prosperous plantation in Wayanad. Over time, the plantation faced financial difficulties due to labor strikes, poor management and competition from other tea producing areas. Despite government intervention and attempts to revive the plantation through restructuring, it struggled to return to profitability. Eventually, a portion of the plantation was converted into a tourist destination, highlighting the shift from traditional agriculture to tourism in the region.