India’s Tea Production Up by 12 Percent in Q1; Production Increases in These Southern States

Good News for Tea Growers! India is heading for higher tea production in the year 2019, as per the going trend in the first quarter. It is to be noted that, for the first time in 2018, India produced a lower volume than in the previous year and till February 2019, the falling trend continued.

Interestingly, this falling trend has been reversed now and the credit goes to the North and South India which are reporting higher production in March 2019.

According to the Tea Board official data for March, India’s tea production is rising to 74.59 million kg (mkg) from 61.04 mkg in March 2018, which is an increase of 13.55 mkg or 22.20 per cent,” said Rajesh Gupta, compiler of the annual Global Tea Digest. Simultaneously, the production in Q1 has also increased year-on-year.

He further added, “From January to March, the cumulative production of tea in the country rose to 103.61 mkg from 92.20 mkg, marking a gain of 11.41 mkg or 12.38 per cent. North Indian teas, dormant from December 2018 due to the Tea Board’s order to close operations in winter to get rid of sub-standard teas, have now started to hit the market. Production from the North in Q1 rose to 64.13 mkg from 53.86 mkg in the same quarter last year, posting a gain of 10.27 mkg or 19.07 per cent."

Assam topped the production table with 33.35 mkg (up by 9.44 mkg) which is followed by West Bengal with 29.14 mkg (up 0.22 mkg). However, South Indian production in Q1 rose to 39.48 mkg from 38.34 in Q1 of 2018, a marginal gain of 1.14 mkg or 3 per cent, due to favourable weather in Tamil Nadu. Here the production rose to 27.08 mkg from 25.79 mkg, and Kerala’s production dropped to 11.55 mkg (from 11.61 mkg).

Source: Business Line