The Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has sparked disappointment across north Bengal’s tea belt, with stakeholders saying the tea industry found no mention while other cash crops received support.
Tea planters from Darjeeling and the Dooars said the sector, already under stress due to climate change, financial challenges and geopolitical uncertainties, urgently needs policy backing. “Tea is an agricultural product and a geographical indicator. It requires constant support, which was missing in the budget,” a Darjeeling planter said.
The budget announced support for high-value crops such as coconut, cocoa, cashew, agar trees and nuts, but tea was left out. Industry bodies, including the Indian Tea Planters Association and the Confederation of Small Tea Growers Association of India, said the omission was disheartening, especially as Bengal, Assam and Tamil Nadu together produce over 95% of India’s tea.
However, Darjeeling BJP MP Raju Bista said measures like the ₹10,000-crore SME Growth Fund and liquidity support could indirectly benefit small tea growers. The tea belt employs nearly three lakh workers and remains politically significant in the region.
Union Budget Brews Discontent in North Bengal’s Tea Sector
