Plucking activities took place on Friday but not in a full-fledged scale as many workers could not come due to lack of transport,” All Assam Small Tea Growers’ Association general secretary Karuna Mahnata told PTI. The board had earlier asked them to shut plucking and manufacturing operations by mid-December to prevent production of inferior quality tea, according to growers. “Due to the internet suspension and violent protests, several tea growers are apprehending that they may face difficulties to pay wages to workers as banking services might be affected. “Several agricultural processes, including pruning, are done during the winters to ensure quality of tea for the upcoming season. If the protests continue longer and such cold-weather agricultural activities are affected, the industry will face severe impact next season,” he added.

Source: Huffington Post December 15, 2019 06:11 UTC