Why you could soon be missing your cup of Darjeeling tea

Image caption:Weeds have been growing in the tea bushes since work stopped

The shutdown in the gardens couldn't have come at a worse time.

The harvesting season in Darjeeling extends to roughly a little over seven months - from March to October. It is also divided into four distinct seasons called "flushes".

The ongoing impasse came in the middle of the second - or summer flush - season which gives the tea an unique "muscatel" scent and accounts for half of the yearly crop and and 40% of annual sales. The separatist agitation in Darjeeling has disrupted life in the region since 1980s, but in the past the strikes usually happened during the lull between seasons.

Tea buyers are already feeling the crunch. In India, the tea is fast going off the shelves. Some supermarkets in Japan have said their stocks will run out by November if supplies don't resume. An importer in Germany says the tea runs the risk of becoming a "limited edition" beverage.

...[ Continue to next page ]