North Bengal

Now, fresh tea leaves cannot sit around indefinitely without being spoiled, so a farmer has to sell them as quickly as possible, giving them less bargaining power, particularly when market supply as a whole is high.

So in August 2025, the price of green leaves in parts of North Bengal reportedly fell to approximately rupees 14 per kg, which is nearly half the level seen a year earlier, even though consumers would not have noticed their tea suddenly becoming 50% cheaper.

But curiously, 2025 was also India's best year for tea exports.

That year, the domestic supply of all kinds of tea increased, while demand from Iraq, Iran, and China for high quality produce had also helped push prices up.

And it's only fair that I give her the platform to do what she wants.

As we speak, she's in North Bengal.

I've

got it.

Heavy rain has disrupted train services in West Bengal after soil erosion caused subsidence on a railway track between Tilanga and New Farakka in the Eastern Railway's Howrah-Malda division.

The problem developed early Thursday on the up line, affecting trains traveling towards North Bengal.

Railway authorities diverted North Bengal-bound trains through a bypass while maintenance teams began urgent restoration work.

Several long-distance services, including the Darjeeling Mail, Coorg Express, and Jogbani Express, were delayed.

Engineers believe persistent rainfall over the preceding days softened the soil beneath the tracks, leading to the subsidence.