PRODUCTION -- 27:

MORE TEA LIKELY IN THE NILGIRIS .. 

BY P S SUNDAR

(article in The New Indian Express)

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

PRODUCTION -- 26:

AFTER AUGUST..

INDIA HEADING FOR RECORD TEA OUTPUT

P S SUNDAR

Indications are that India is heading for another record production in tea this calendar.

“Tea Board has now announced the August production data showing a six per cent increase in the country’s output over 2016 to total 167.98 mkg.    North Indian output rose by five per cent to reach 148.16 mkg while South Indian output increased by nine per cent to reach 19.82 mkg”, Rajesh Gupta, compiler of annual Global Tea Digest, told me.  

Consequently, the cumulative production in the eight months has increased by 33.45 mkg or five per cent.   “Our compilation shows that the production in the eight months rose to 766.72 mkg from 733.27 mkg”, Gupta noted.

This means that India is continuing the tradition of posting record production year after year.  If this trend continues, the country will end up with a production of 1,300 mkg against 1,267 mkg produced in 2016, opine industry observers.

The bulk of the increase has happened in South India where the production till August rose by 12 per cent to reach 156.39 mkg.  North Indian output increased by three per cent to reach 610.33 mkg.  Good rainfall has been instrumental in pushing up harvest in tea plantations across the country.

Assam continued to top India’s production table and in the eight months, the state produced 382.54 mkg, up by two per cent over Jan-Aug 2016.

Darjeeling had been trailing behind last year with production falling to 2.07 mkg from 5.63 mkg.

In the South, Tamil Nadu topped at 112.38 mkg, marking a 15 per cent growth.   Kerala’s output rose by six per cent to reach 40.61 mkg.

also reachable by clicking :: 

 http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/copyofbl12tea-new-copybl/article9901842.ece..

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

FOR THE RECORD -- 37:

INDIA HEADING FOR RECORD TEA PRODUCTION..

TWO MONTHS AFTER GST, ISSUES CONTINUE ..

MINIMUM PRICE TO SMALL GROWERS CRASH..

CTTA TURNOVER RISE..

BY P S SUNDAR

(articles in The Assam Review and Tea News, Sept 2017)

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

HAPPENING - 4:

TEA GIFT PACKS FOR DEEPAVALI, CHRISTMAS, NEW YEAR & PONGAL

BY P S SUNDAR.

It is festive season now and hence gifting season as well.   While corporates and individuals are busy scouting for gifts to be given to their business associates and dear ones, for the first time ever, they have a new option of gifting premium Nilgiri teas in specialised packs with signature tags highlighting their identity.

“This is a unique offer. The packs are garnishing!  The tins are cute and reusable for long.  There is value-addition as consumers can enjoy up to four varieties of the Nilgiri teas.  I tasted some of them and believe that they are a wonderful gift during the forthcoming festive season”, Frank Miller, American writer on tea and coffee industry, told me.

He received the first Festive gift pack of four square tin boxes of Avataa teas flavoured with natural essence of tulsi, vanilla, cardamom and cinnamon at Billimalai Estate.

“This is a fine gift as the receivers can enjoy four varieties of quality teas at one go”, Miller said.

Frank Miller (right) receiving the First Gift Avataa Tea Pack from Vejayashekara.

“We have come out with 13 varieties of festive gift packs containing premium Award winning Avataa teas manufactured from the hand-picked tea leaves with the quality enhanced due to high location of 6,000 feet above mean sea level in Billimalai Estate”, Avataa Beverages Speciality Tea Production Executive ENR Vejayashekara, who released the Festive Gift Packs, said.  He can be contacted on phone: 94430 46111. 

“The consumer packs include Avataa teas which have won Golden Leaf India Award of Tea Board and UPASI, the tea which recently created history by fetching Rs 2,086 a kg at Coonoor auctions as the highest-ever price in the whole of South Indian auctions, the one which had fetched Rs 11,500 a kg at Nilgiri winter speciality tea auction, as also those which have won international awards”, Vejayashekara disclosed.

“These are green and black teas in consumer-friendly small boxes with affordable prices.  Tea Board had distributed some of our teas at Olympics in the past.  We had also successfully launched Valentine Gift Tea.  But, this is the first time varieties of premium Nilgiris tea are being offered exclusively as festive gifts for Deepavali, Christmas, New Year and Pongal”, Avataa Beverages Director Udayakumar said.  

“Corporates can use these gifts with their signature logos under the theme, ‘Be different; gift different’ stressing on Prime Minister’s ‘Make in India’ concept”, he added.

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

PRICES -- 9:

GLOBAL TEA PRICES RISE

P S SUNDAR

Tea prices in public auctions in all countries so far this calendar have increased over the corresponding period of 2016 except in North India, reveals our analysis of the Market Reports of various auction centres across the globe.

Sri Lankan teas have fetched the highest average price of US $ 4.06 a kg, significantly higher than $ 2.80 got in 2016.

Rwanda teas came next at $ 3.15 a kg, up from $ 2.49 in 2016.

Kenyan teas got $ 2.99 a kg, up from $ 2.38 in 2016, while Bangladesh got $ 2.32, up from $ 2.15.

All others got less than $ 2 a kg.   Indian teas fetched an average price of $ 1.91, almost flat to $ 1.90 got in 2016.   Here, South Indian average price rose to $ 1.58 a kg from $ 1.54 but North Indian prices dropped to $ 2.01 from $ 2.06.

In the South, all auction centres posted a higher average price except Coonoor.   Kochi got $ 1.84 (2016: $ 1.74), Coimbatore $ 1.52 ($1.46), Coonoor $ 1.38 down from $ 1.43.   Teaserve in Coonoor fetched the world’s lowest average price of $ 1.31 a kg ($ 1.24).

also reachable by clicking :: 

 http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/markets/commodities/global-tea-auction-prices-rise/article9889313.ece

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