BHUBANESWAR: Tea production dipped 7.21 per cent to 85.74 million kg in April against 92.41 million kg produced a year ago, brought about by a drop in the crop production both in north India, which also
covers the east and northeast regions, and south India.
According to the Tea Board, Bengal output fell for the month fell nearly 20 per cent to 15.73 million kg compared with 19.6 million kg produced in the corresponding period in the previous year. Assam’s production was marginally up to 45.65 million kg as compared to 44.24 million kg produced in last year.
North India’s yield fell four per cent to 63.28 million kg from 65.86 million kg produced a year ago.
Similarly, in South India including Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka, the tea production was at 22.46 million kg during the month under review as against 26.55 million kg produced in the same month last year.
Small growers in the southern states produced 38.04 million kg in April as against 43 million kg produced by them in the year-ago month.Moreover, exports grew marginally to 14.5 million kg as against 14.33 million kg exported in the year-ago month. In value terms, the month was stagnant at Rs 277.6 crore.
While exports to Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Britain and Germany fell, those for Pakistan, China, Iran and Egypt showed improvement.
In volume, exports to CIS countries, including Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, were at 20.46 million kg in the first four months of the year, down from 22.28 million kg in the same period last year.
However, tea exports to Iran went up to 8.94 million kg in the period under review, from 7.18 million kg in the year-ago period. As much as 4.89 million kg of tea was shipped out to Egypt during the
months under review, up from 2.94 million kg in the year-ago period.