PRODUCTION -- 12 :

INDIA HEADING FOR RECORD TEA PRODUCTION

BY P S SUNDAR

                   India is heading for yet another record in tea production this year with output so far rising above last year’s level which is a record until now.

“Tea Board has announced production data till June.  The compilation shows that India produced 398.84 million kg (mkg) in the first half of current year compared to 388.71 mkg in same months of 2014”, Rajesh Gupta, compiler of annual ‘Global Tea Digest’ told me.

This increase of 10.13 mkg marked a growth of 2.61 per cent.

North India, which was producing a lower cop due to harsh winter conditions early this year, has recovered.   In the first half, it produced 7.54 mkg more to reach 275.22 mkg.   This was despite Assam, the country’s largest tea producing state, posting a marginal decline of 0.13 mkg to dip to 162.55 mkg.

South India produced 2.59 mkg more to reach 123.62 mkg.   Tamil Nadu produced 0.82 mkg more to record 85.49 mkg.   Kerala’s output rose by 1.83 mkg to soar to 34.75 mkg.

For the first time in Indian tea history, production crossed 1,000 million kg mark in 2011 and reached 1116 mkg.   The next year, it soared to 1126 mkg.  It further rose to 1200 mkg in 2013 and 1207 mkg in 2014.

Based on higher production so far, industry sources expect the production in 2015 to be around a record 1215 mkg.

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonor@gmail.com)