INDIA
In August 2017, for the first time in 156 years, no Darjeeling teas entered the wholesale markets worldwide. An indefinite strike led by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) halted the harvest in mid-June. The last lot of leaves reached the market at double the price and one-tenth the volume of the previous year.
Gardens only managed to produce about 5% of the high-quality second flush. Overgrown bushes due to the cessation of pruning will require several months maintenance to restore yields. This situation has given smallholders who continued to maintain their gardens during the idle period and those in Nepal an opportunity to export even more tea into the Darjeeling area. The long-term financial damage to Darjeeling region is serious and has raised concerns for the viability and the survival of many of the Darjeeling gardens.