| Date: |
05-08-2010 |
| Subject: |
Tea export dips 15 per cent in June |
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NEW DELHI: Tea exports fell by around 15 per cent to 12.7 million kg in June this year due to dip in production in both northern and southern parts of India.
During the same month last year, India had exported 14.9 million kg of tea, the Tea Board said in statement.
The contribution of North India to the export basket fell to 4.9 million kg from 6.6 million kg in June last year. South India also failed to match its last year's tally as exports slid to 7.8 million kg from 8.3 million kg.
Fall in exports is in line with dip in production during the month as a result of a massive 11.9 million tonnes output fall in Assam. The North-Eastern state contributes more than half to the country's total annual production.
Production in North India, mainly in Assam, fell due to heavy rainfall and pest attacks since February this year.
Industry sources said that the tea estates in Assam have also reported that production in July has also been adversely impacted due to continuing heavy rains and the slow recovery of estates from the severe Helopeltis pest attack.
Registering a fall of 11.8 per cent, country's total tea production in June stood at 104 million kg against 118 million kg in the same month last year.
Meanwhile, in the first six months of the current year, India's total tea exports declined to 83.9 million kg against 74.5 million kg in the January-April period of the last year.
The average price of Indian tea in the export market also fell to Rs 130.84 per kg in June this year compared to 142.46 a kg in the same month last year.
India, the world's second largest producer and the biggest consumer of tea, accounts for about 28 per cent of the global output and 14 per cent of the trade. There are about 1,600 tea estates in India. The sector employs over two million people.
India had exported 190 million kg of tea in 2008-09. The country exports CTC (crush-tear-curl) variety of tea mainly to Egypt, Pakistan and the UK and the premium orthodox variety of tea to Iraq, Iran and Russia.
India faces competition from Kenya and other African countries for exporting CTC tea, while for orthodox variety competition comes up from Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com
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