Influences of Covid-19 on sustainable Tea production in North-East region of India: Issues and future challenges

Abstract

The coronavirus disease (Covid-19) has devastated the whole world, and India has also taken the most hit. The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined it as a pandemic over the centuries due to the size of the spread. The global economy and epidemic constantly move in opposite directions. Tea cultivation as an agricultural export commodity has a long and rich history in the Indian state of Assam dating back nearly two centuries. The state of Assam produces 50 to 55% of the total production of tea on a national basis and one-sixth worldwide. Small tea producers in the state currently account for more than 45% of the state's overall production, after commencing with large-scale production by major farmers. The pandemic has an impact on small-scale farmers' inability to produce more income, despite tea having a greater return rate than other commercial crops and a pleasant environment for production. However, the farmers are trapped in a cycle of poverty due to the pandemic. The pandemic's consequences have raised labor expenses, management costs, and manufacturing costs. This paper aims to examine the farmer’s issues with profits and productivity in the state of Assam to monitor the impact of Covid-19. It was discovered that this epidemic not only lowers productivity but also undermines the growers' morale. Additionally, it has been observed that the profit of the farmers is decreasing not just because of a drop in production but also because of the high use of fertilizer and delivery options.