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🇳🇵 Nepal /Economy & Trade

Nepali orthodox tea is in demand, but its workforce is shrinking

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Nepali orthodox tea estates, particularly in eastern Nepal, face a significant worker shortage despite offering competitive wages and good working conditions.
  • The primary reason for the shortage is the increasing number of Nepalis, both men and women, migrating abroad for employment.
  • This exodus leaves tea gardens and factories with insufficient manpower, impacting production and the availability of experienced workers.

Tea bushes at the Pathibhara Tea Estate in Panchthar, eastern Nepal, are abundant with fresh shoots, ready for plucking to produce high-quality premium loose-leaf tea for export. However, the estate, with a capacity for 50 workers, currently employs only 10 to 15. This shortage is not isolated; most tea gardens in eastern Nepal are experiencing a similar lack of workers.

At a time when our brothers and sisters are wandering around villages saying there are no job opportunities, and are forced to do strenuous work in 40-degree [Celsius] heat abroad, we are working in the cool and scenic tea gardens here.

— Shashikala RaiRai contrasts the local tea-picking work with the harsh conditions faced by Nepalis working abroad.

Despite offering Rs110 per kg for plucking and additional wages for processing, tea gardens are struggling to attract and retain staff. Experienced workers can earn up to Rs40,000 a month, including accommodation. Shashikala Rai, a tea plucker, highlights the benefits of working in the cool, scenic tea gardens compared to strenuous, hot conditions abroad. She questions why people would seek work overseas when such opportunities exist locally.

However, an increasing number of Nepalis, both men and women, are migrating abroad for employment. Many women who remain in villages are moving to urban centers to provide better education for their children, further exacerbating the labor shortage in rural tea-growing areas. Annually, nearly 800,000 Nepalis seek jobs abroad, leaving Nepal's agricultural sector, including tea cultivation, without sufficient manpower.

The earning is not bad either. We earn up to Rs40,000 a month. With such opportunities available, why go abroad?

— Shashikala RaiRai defends the financial viability of working in tea gardens, questioning the need for overseas employment.

With approximately 60,000 tea workers across eastern districts like Ilam, Panchthar, and Jhapa, most are temporary or daily-wage laborers, missing out on steady income and benefits. This precarious employment status makes tea work less attractive. Jeet Bahadur Limbu, another worker, expresses frustration over young people leaving the country in search of employment despite available opportunities in sectors like tea cultivation.

It is frustrating to see young people leaving the country saying they are unemployed despite such opportunities being available here.

— Jeet Bahadur LimbuLimbu expresses his disappointment with the youth migrating abroad while local job opportunities remain unfilled.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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