Darjeeling Tea prices Filtering through
It is almost a year ago that we heard about the problems in Darjeeling. Here is a brief snippet from our main tea supplier:
Tempers cooled in Darjeeling for the Muslim holy day Monday following 12 days of protests by Nepali separatists, some violent. The unrest has caused thousands of tourists and climbers to flee.
The second flush harvest is halted, factories stand idle and tea shipments are delayed or never departed from the high Himalayan gardens. The tea sector could lose 40 percent of its revenue as production is expected to decline by at least 20 percent due to protests and absenteeism.
Only 200,000 kilos of second-flush escaped the mayhem, compared to 1.8 million kilos last year. Production costs are projected to rise.
How do and should you react when you know your supplier is making a loss supplying you?
Yes, we all know the answer to that question and we did the honorable thing as it matters to us. This is also a gentle reminder and reasoning for our Darjeeling teas to have increased in price. It is only now that the prices are making their way through to us.
