The alpona (artwork) on the steep, winding road leading to Makaibari bears testimony to the visit of G20 delegates for the second tourism working group meeting in April last year.
The lush tea bushes, the delegates joining in for the moonlight plucking of Silver Tips Imperial first flush, a favourite of late Queen Elizabeth II, cut a picture of mystical magic.
But it s not the Kurseong tea garden s only shining moment - the last few years have been busy for the estate and its bungalow.
Industry is worried at increasing entry of Napalese Tea in domestic market By Kunal Bose In more than one way, the past year would go down in the annals of the famed Darjeeling tea industry, which though infinitely smaller in terms of production than its counterparts elsewhere in the country and abroad as annushorribilis. Production
The industry, reeling under losses for seven years in a row, will be begging for a one-time financial assistance to stay afloat. Buffeted by weak export demand and a deluge of cheap Nepalese variety in India, planters claim that business has become unviable with no direction in sight to turn around
Geopolitical headwinds leading to lower demand from export markets, coupled with lower domestic buying, have dragged the auction average of Darjeeling tea to its lowest level since 2015.
Data from Calcutta Tea Traders Association (CTTA) shows that the average price of Darjeeling tea at Kolkata auctions for January-December 2023 was Rs 319.74 per kg.
The last time it dipped below this level was in 2015 at Rs 285.71 per kg.
Brewing trouble: Darjeeling tea hits 8-year low in auctions, shows data business-standard.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from business-standard.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.