NILGIRI TEA

Facts
Nilgiri is a mountainous region of Tamil Nadu State, in southeastern India (Nilgiri is a Tamil word that means Blue Mountains). The peaks of the Nilgiri rise abruptly from the surrounding plains to an elevation of 1,800-2,400 m; one of them, Doda Betta (2,637 m), is the highest point in entire Tamil Nadu. The hills are separated from the Karnataka plateau by the Noyar River and from the Anaimalai and Palni hills by the Palghat Gap. They are considerably cooler and wetter than the surrounding plains. Nilgiri is a land of lush with vegetation and teeming with wildlife, most notably elephants.

Production
According to different sources Nilgiri produces between 64000 and 120000 tons of tea annually. This makes the area the second biggest tea-producing region after Assam. South India accounts for approximately 25% of India's total production of tea. Nilgiri estates are efficiently managed, yielding up to 3,500 kg/ha. The soils are good and the rainfall is evenly distributed.

Teas
Tea gardens are planted at all elevations, ranging from 30 to 2300 meters (usually 1700-2300 m). The teas taste similar to Ceylon teas and as with Ceylon teas, the "high grown" teas are the most flavorful, "mid-grown" teas are of medium quality, and "low grown" teas generally being used as a base for blends.

Nilgiri produces some very high quality teas, and also CTC teas, which are used for blending. Most Nilgiri tea estates are small and medium sized, owned by small businesses or families (average extent 100 - 200 ha). Many of these businesses survive since colonial times. In Nilgiri, these smallholdings continue to increase. It's estimated that more than 30000 smallholders have estates smaller than 10 hectares. The reason for this expansion is the rapid increase in tea prices, which have made tea more profitable than other crops such as vegetables. Smallholders sell their green leaf to neighboring factories for processing into black tea.

More than 60% of estate workers are women. Workers are provided accommodation and the larger plantation units are often self reliant, which estate schools, dispensaries and places of worship. Some of the larger plantations, with an area of 400 hectares or more, can have over 1000 workers, based on the usual ratio of 2 - 3 workers per hectare.

Auction
In 1963 the Coonoor auction opened. This auction center was established to assist the smallholder who could not send their teas to the main regional auction center for South India in Cochin. Many of the brokers are Indian managed companies. Their function extends beyond purely receiving and auctioning teas. The broker is also a manufacturing advisor and part financier to the plantation owners, especially the smallholders who require advances on their production. The establishment of the Coonoor auction center has assisted the smallholders in Nilgiri to obtain better prices for their produce.

Export
Processed Tea is graded by leaf size (Orange Pekoe, Broken Orange Pekoe, Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe etc.). It's dispatched to brokers' warehouses in foil lined plywood chests or lined jute bags. Teas from the Nilgiris and from the Travencore areas of South India are shipped from the ancient spice port of Cochin