The hidden threat and drought combine to jeopardize India’s tea harvest
India’s tea harvest is at risk because Covid-19 infections have spread to plantations struggling with a severe drought.
Ninety tea gardens in Assam, India’s leading tea producers, have reported cases and numerous declared containment sites, according to the local tea association, as authorities are trying to spread the virus to more than 800 plantations in the state.
About 500 cases have been confirmed but the plants say more studies are needed to detect the true magnitude of the outbreak.
India is the world’s second largest producer after China, and competes in the export market with countries like Kenya and Sri Lanka.