Calcutta, March 7: Tea exports rose 40 per cent in volume and 45 per cent in value during January.
Production rose 25 per cent during the month, according to data of the Tea Board of India.
Exports in January stood at 17 million kg against 12.08 million kg during the year-ago period.
Revenue earned is at Rs 212 crore against Rs 146 crore, while the realisation was Rs 124.69 a kg against Rs 121.38 a year ago.
Output from India increased 25 per cent in January as a result of post-monsoon rains.
Production was 27.1 million kg compared with 21.6 million kg a year earlier, according to the Tea Board.
During January-December 2009, production fell to 978.9 million kg against 980.8 million kg in 2008 mainly because of lower contribution from South India, statistics published by the Tea Board and the Indian Tea Association revealed.
During the year (January-December 2009), exports fell over 5.7 per cent to 191.4 million kg against 203.1 million kg in the year-ago period.
South Indian tea-producing states — Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka — yielded 244.1 million kg, down from 246.8 million kg in 2008.
Following better weather conditions, production in North India increased to 734.8 million kg from 733.9 million kg mainly because of higher contribution from Assam.
Production in Assam increased more than 12.5 million kg in 2009 at 499.9 million kg against 487.4 million kg in 2008.
Bengal produced 221.5 million kg compared with 233.1 million kg in 2008.
Meanwhile, the global tea deficit is estimated to touch 130 million kg by April.
Source : telegraphindia.com