India’s tea output up 6.5% in June

Monday, 13 August 2012 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

MUMBAI,(Reuters) : India’s tea production rose for the first time in nine months in June to 122.2 million kg, up 6.5% from a year earlier, as plucking improved in north-eastern and southern parts of the country, the state-run Tea Board said in a statement.

However, the country’s tea production in the first six months of 2012 fell 5.7% on year to 338 million kg as unfavourable weather in the top-producing north eastern state of Assam state hampered plucking earlier this year.

Output in Assam is likely to fall 5% in 2012 due to a dry spell in the first five months and heavy rains from June, factors that could harden prices further, industry officials said.

The world’s second biggest tea producer exports the CTC (crush, tear, curl) tea variety mainly to Egypt, Pakistan and the United Kingdom, and the premium orthodox variety to Iraq, Iran and Russia.

India’s tea production in 2011 rose to a record high of 988.3 million kg.