The Himal World
Bagdogra, 18 Jan
Tea planters in North Bengal have voiced serious concerns on the quality of tea being imported to India from Nepal. According to the industry honchos, such tea quality has adversely affected the standing of the all-popular Darjeeling Tea in the international market. 
Attending the annual general meeting of the Terai Branch of the Indian Tea Association at Bagdogra near Siliguri in West Bengal on Saturday, the planters discussed the issue and requested the government to allow import of Nepal Tea through an auction process and also issue quality check processes at the border points.
Around 14 million kg of Nepal tea was imported in the year 2023, the programme was told. 
Atul Rastogi, the additional vice-chairman of the Indian Tea Association, said that they have no objections to tea being imported from the neighbouring country that shares a porous border, but that the quality should be good and checks done before the leaves enter India. 
According to him, green leaves and made-tea are being smuggled to India through several border points, especially in Jhapa and Ilam districts. 
The programme was told that the Tea Board of India had also written letters to stakeholders of the tea industry in the region, seeking their proposals and feedback on an auction process for Nepal Tea entering India.
A total of 13.66 million kg of tea was imported from Nepal to India in 2023 at ₹143.65 per kg, at least half of which is of the orthodox variety (leaf tea) and competes with Darjeeling tea, it is learnt. A large quantity is often sold in the market to gullible consumers as Darjeeling tea.
The ITA has mooted a minimum import price for Nepal tea to provide a level playing field for Darjeeling tea, which has a production cost of ₹650 a kg on an average.

Nepal tea enjoys aduty-free access to the Indian market under the bilateral Free Trade Treaty of 2009, even though it imposes a 40 per cent duty on Indian tea entering Nepal, putting Darjeeling tea on a sticky wicket. However, India has been hesitant to check the influx of Nepal teas due to geo-political consideration so far.
While the effectiveness of a mandatory auction is being hotly debated within the tea circle, an ITA paper, submitted to Bengal labour minister Malay Ghatak, seeks an urgent fiscal package to help the ailing tea industry in Bengal.