Darjeeling Tea

Why in news?

• The Tea Association of India (TAI) has raised the red flag on Nepal-origin teas reportedly sold in the domestic market as the premium Darjeeling teas, thereby diluting the brand image of Darjeeling tea and adversely impacting prices.

About Darjeeling Tea:

• Darjeeling tea is a tea made from Camellia sinensis var. sinensis that is grown and processed in the Darjeeling or Kalimpong Districts in West Bengal
• The tea leaves are processed as black tea, though some estates have expanded their product offerings to include leaves suitable for making green, white and oolong teas.
• The incomparable quality of Darjeeling Teas is the result of its locational climate, soil conditions, altitude and meticulous processing.
• Darjeeling teas are grown at elevations ranging from 600 to 2000 metre above sea level.
• After enactment of Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act in 2003, Darjeeling tea became first Indian product to receive GI tag.
• Darjeeling teas are seasonally harvested and hence available only for limited periods of time

History:

• Camellia sinensis was first planted in the Darjeeling area in 1841 by Archibald Campbell who was working for the East India Company.
• At the time, the British were seeking an alternative supply of tea apart from China and attempted growing the plant in several candidate areas in India.
• Both the newly discovered assamica variety and the sinensis variety were planted but the sloped drainage, cool winters and cloud cover favoured sinensis.
• The British established numerous tea plantations, with the majority of workers being Gorkhas and Lepchas from Nepal and Sikkim.
• After independence, the estates were all subsequently sold to businesses in India and regulated under the laws of India. The Soviet Union replaced the British as the primary consumers of tea from Darjeeling. As Darjeeling tea gained a reputation for its distinctiveness and quality, it was marketed more to Western Europe with many estates acquiring organic, biodynamic and fair-trade certifications and the Tea Board of India pursuing authentication and international promotion of Darjeeling teas.

About Tea Board of India:

• It is a state agency of the Government of India established to promote the cultivation, processing, and domestic trade as well as export of tea from India
• The Tea Board India is responsible for the assignment of certification numbers to exports of certain tea merchants. This certification is intended to ensure the teas’ origin, which in turn would reduce the amount of fraudulent labelling on rare teas such as ones harvested in Darjeeling.
• All teas produced in the tea growing areas of India, including Darjeeling, are administered by the Tea Board, India under the Tea Act, 1953.
• Since its establishment, the Tea Board has had sole control over the growing and exporting of Darjeeling Tea and it is this which has given rise to the reputation enjoyed by Darjeeling Tea
• To assist the Tea Board in its role of authenticating regional origin of Darjeeling Tea, it has developed a unique logo, known as the Darjeeling logo.
• At a legal level, Tea Board is the owner of all intellectual property rights in the Darjeeling word and logo.

PRELIMS QUESTION

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. Darjeeling tea was the first GI tagged product in India.

2. All teas produced in India, including Darjeeling, are administered by the Tea Board of India under the Tea Act

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer