Climate-smart tea seed introduced to counter high-temperature impacts

A body of the tea industry has come out with a climate-smart seed variety which can withstand high temperatures and yield quality crops, an official said on Sunday.

The new seed stock 'TSS 2', introduced by the Tea Research Association (TRA), will help the industry prepare itself to counter the negative effects of climate change, he said.

The TRA is funded by the Ministry of Commerce and the tea industry.

The new seed variety has been introduced at a time "when tea production is down by 80 million kgs till now in 2024 due to extreme heat and climatic factors," TRA secretary Joydeep Phukan told PTI.

Extreme heat is making a significant impact on tea plantations in Assam and north Bengal, the two largest tea-producing regions in the country.

"To combat the effects of climate change, TRA released the first climate-smart tea seed stock TSS 2. The new seed variety can withstand high temperatures and the new seed stock can produce high-quality tea," he said.

The traditional tea-growing