Small tea producers say the labour strike, on since 13 August, could force them to shut down gardens in east Nepal. The workers' 21-point demands include that the monthly minimum wage be increased to Rs 5000. Farmers say that while they are willing to listen, concrete improvements are not possible without subsidies. Wages here are linked to those in tea estates in West Bengal, since most Nepali tea is exported to India. The strike is costing the industry Rs 10 million per day, and could increase, as tea buds mature and become useless if they remain unpicked for more than eight days.