Dooars and Terai Tea of North Bengal

The Dooars and Terai belt of North Bengal — the foothills south of Darjeeling — is India second most important tea growing region, producing a large volume of CTC (crush-tear-curl) and some orthodox tea from Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, and Cooch Behar districts. Dooars tea differs from Darjeeling first flush in character: it is a full-bodied, darker liquoring tea suited for tea bag blending and the domestic mass market. However, single-estate Dooars orthodox teas are beginning to attract specialty tea buyers internationally. The estates of the Dooars employ large numbers of tribal tea plantation workers — the Adivasi communities (Santali, Oraon, Munda) who were brought as labour during British tea expansion. Worker welfare, fair wages, and plantation community healthcare are ongoing social issues. CBTC (Confederation of Bengal Tea Cooperative) coordinates small tea grower output. The North Bengal Tea Auction Centre in Siliguri is a major trading hub.