India’s Jan tea output drops 10.5%

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India’s tea production in January fell 10.5% from a year earlier to 17.15 million kg as plucking fell in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, the state-run Tea Board said in a statement on Tuesday.

Tamil Nadu’s production in the month dropped 12.3% to 8.09 million kg, the board said.

India, the world’s second-biggest tea producer, exports CTC (crush-tear-curl) grade mainly to Egypt, Pakistan and the UK, and the orthodox variety to Iraq, Iran and Russia.