Environment & Climate
Climate change and low wages drive labor crisis in Assam tea industry
Rising temperatures, weather disruptions, and stagnant prices are pushing workers away from India's primary tea-producing region.
The short version
- Assam's tea plantations face severe labor shortages as rising temperatures, low market prices, and climate disruptions drive workers to alternative industries.
- Heat stress and extreme weather are reducing tea yields, while daily wages of 250 to 280 rupees remain below union demands.
- Industry leaders argue that mechanization, improved living conditions, and regenerative farming are critical to sustaining production.
Key facts
- Assam produces approximately 52% of India's tea, supporting about 700,000 plantation workers and 140,000 small growers.[Deutsche Welle]
- Labor accounts for roughly 60% of tea production costs, with current worker wages ranging from 250 to 280 rupees per day against union demands for 350 to 500 rupees.[Deutsche Welle]
- Temperatures in major Assam tea districts regularly reach 36°C to 40°C, and research indicates every 1°C temperature increase reduces tea yields by about 87 kilograms per hectare in India.[Deutsche Welle]
- Absenteeism among tea workers in some districts has reportedly surpassed 50% as labor shifts toward construction, urban employment, and government work programs.[Deutsche Welle]
What remains uncertain
- The extent to which tea producers will adopt widespread mechanization and regenerative farming techniques to offset labor shortages remains undetermined.[Deutsche Welle]