Can climate change have an affect on the quality and production of tea?
The Tocklai Experimental Station (Tocklai Research Association - TRA) here has undertaken a study to analyse the possible impact.
This tea research facility, the world's first and largest of its kind, has analysed climate data of the last 90 years which have already pointed to changing trends.
The climate data has been recorded in the 'station' itself as well as its units across the region.
"We have seen some changes in the climate in the region. For instance, the average minimum temperature has risen by 1 degree Celsius," R M Bhagat, head of the production division of the Tocklai facility, better known as TRA, said.
Pointing to a trend of fall in rainfall, Bhagat said, "The region has lost around 200 mm rainfall because of climate change".
The analysis also showed that in the North East, the average rise in carbon dioxide level in air is 1.5 ppm per year.
"The world average is 2 ppm per year. The trend of low rise in carbon content in air in the region might be because tea is environment friendly," Bhagat said.
While the TRA is yet to come to any concrete
assessment regarding the impact of climate change on the quality and production of tea, Bhagat said, "Quality and productivity do not depend entirely on climate. First we will have to bifurcate other factors, and then analyse".
According to statistics, tea production has remained more or less static over the past few years.
"Based on the analysis of the climatic data, we are now trying to create future scenarios in-house and conduct experiments on the tea plant to see the impact. Both the aspects of quality and production will be considered in the
experiments. The infrastructure for the purpose is being set up," he said.
TRA Director Mridul Hazarika said, "We hope to come up with some conclusions regarding the relationship of climate change and tea quality and productivity in three to five years from now".
Around 400,000 hectares of tea cultivation is under the command of the TRA, a research facility established in 1911. The area, mostly in the North East, including north Bengal, accounts for around 950 million kg of tea production per year.
Research in all aspects of tea cultivation and
processing is carried out at the centre, while transfer of technology to its member estates is carried out through its advisory network covering over 1000 tea estates spread over the North East and North Bengal.