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The Documentary: Storm over a teacup

Storm over a teacup

27/02/2024 GMT

BBC World Service - The Documentary, Storm over a teacup

The farmers and industry leaders working to secure the identity and future of Nepali tea

The farmers and industry leaders working to secure the identity and future of Nepali tea in the shadow of its powerful neighbour, India.

In the mountainous east of Nepal many communities are dependent on tea. The nitrogen-rich soil of the high-elevation estates allow tea bushes to produce a unique flavour, but the picking has to be done by hand. Phanindra Dahal talks to farmers, factory managers, tea estate supervisors and leaders in the business to find out how this small nation is looking to compete globally and the challenges they are up against. 

One challenge is a complex relationship with its neighbour. Many tea estates share similar climactic and growing conditions as Darjeeling, just over the Indian border, and it also shares expertise and workers. The vast majority of Nepalese tea exports go to India, where most of it is blended and resold, an arrangement which worked for both countries, until recently. India wants to protect the Darjeeling brand, and its own industry. 

Now a new generation is looking to strengthen the identity of Nepali tea in its own right, and improve the livelihoods of its farmers, to make the industry sustainable. The story of tea in Nepal has been one of growth for decades and Phanindra meets those working to secure its future.

Presenter: Phanindra Dahal 
Producer: Megan Jones

(Photo: Nepali tea plantation workers. Credit: Phanindra Dahal)

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