PRODUCTION -- 15:

INDIA’S TEA PRODUCTION IN 2016 SOARS TO ALL-TIME HIGH LEVEL

BY P S SUNDAR

India has created a new record in tea production in calendar 2016.

The country which has been posting higher production year after year has reached an all-time high of 1,239.15 million kg (mkg) in 2016.

“Tea Board has just now released the production data for December 2016 as 62.74 mkg against 57.29 mkg in December 2015.  This increase of 5.45 mkg marked a growth of 9.51 per cent”, Rajesh Gupta, compiler of Global Tea Digest 2016 told me.

This helped the overall production to remain higher than 2015 overcoming the shortfalls in some months.

“The overall production in 2016 rose to 1,239.15 mkg from 1,208.66 mkg in 2015.  This increase of 30.49 mkg marked a growth of 2.5 per cent”, Gupta noted.

This increase of 30.49 mkg has been the highest increase over the previous year in the recent past because although production has been reaching new records year after year, the rise has been only marginal over the previous years.

This is despite South India producing a lower volume in 2016 than in 2015 because of a significant increase in North Indian output.

North Indian production rose to 1,026.94 mkg from 981.09 mkg, marking a five per cent growth.  Assam continued to top Indian production table at 642.18 mkg (up 2 per cent) followed by West Bengal 357.47 mkg (up 10 per cent).   Darjeeling, however, posted a seven per cent decline to dip to 8.13 mkg.

South Indian output fell by seven per cent to 212.21 mkg from 227.57 mkg due to adverse weather for most part of 2016.   Tamil Nadu lost 11 per cent to dip to 145.41 mkg from 163.09 mkg.

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

   

FOR THE RECORD -- 26::

GLOBAL TEA DIGEST 2016 DEDICATED TO TEA INDUSTRY ..

DEMONETISATION IMPACT ON TEA INDUSTRY ..

CTTA TURNOVER IN 2016 UP Rs 55.01 Cr..

CTTA AUCTIONS BEGIN ON HAPPY NOTE IN 2017..

TEA PRODUCTION UP IN INDIA AND THE WORLD.. .

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

BY P S SUNDAR

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

FOR THE RECORD -- 25:

REMEMBERING JAYALALITHAA..

CRASH-CRUNCH CONTINUING TO AFFECT TEA INDUSTRY ..

HIGHER TEA PRODUCTION IN INDIA...

(articles in The Assam Review and Tea News, Dec 2016)

BY P S SUNDAR

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

FOR THE RECORD -- 24

GLOBAL TEA DIGEST 2016 RELEASED 

BY P S SUNDAR

Tamil Nadu Government’s Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Managing Director of Tamilnadu Tea Plantation Corporation (TANTEA) Dr Rajeev Srivastava has dedicated the ‘Global Tea Digest 2016’ to tea industry and trade.

“I have not come across elsewhere such a comprehensive publication which is a storehouse of statistical data and a micro-encyclopaedia on tea industry. This will be of use to tea industry, trade, exporters, academicians and researchers”, Dr Srivastava told me. 

“As the only authentic publication on tea statistics, Global Tea Digest (GTD) is used by policymakers in the industry and Government for taking decisions on vital matters”, acknowledged Mohamed Iqbal, Chairman Nilgiris Planters’ Association (NPA) who received the first copy.

“This is the sixth annual edition and we have incorporated several charts and diagrams to make this more user-friendly”, said H P Gupta, Chairman, Global Tea Brokers (GTB), who published the GTD.

“The 164-paged GTD has over 120 statistical tables on global tea industry.  It has also updated international Tea Grades, Tea Codes, Tea Timeline, Tea Tasting Terminology and Tea glossary”, GTD compiler Rajesh Gupta said. 

“GTD is distributed free of cost as an activity of our corporate social responsibility”, GTB Director Rakesh Gupta added.

TANTEA General Manager Rakesh Kumar Jagenia IFS was present on the occasion.

“Some facts about tea are as fascinating as the very beverage.   We have recorded many less-known facts about tea production and drinking round the world”, Rajesh Gupta noted.

“Fermented or pickled tea is a national delicacy of Myanmar.  It is eaten as Tea Leaf Salad”, records Tea Glossary section.

China tea compressed into a ballot protect it against atmospheric changes is ‘Ball Tea’.

Taiwanese tea-based milk shake added with fruit jellies and tropical balls creating bubbles is ‘Bubble Tea’.

Chinese green tea from Zheijiang province is rolled into small pellet-size ball and dried.  So, it is called ‘Gunpowder’.  This tea’s colour is also like gunpowder. 

The 7^th Duchess of Bedford gave birth to ‘afternoon tea’ drinking practice in the 19^th century as she drank tea to stave off hunger pangs between lunch and dinner.  Finger sandwiches, cakes or pasties accompanied the ‘afternoon tea’.

Chinese and Japanese tea mixed with stalk and dust and moulded into bricks under high-pressure were carried by Asian travellers to drink tea on their way and it was called ‘brick tea’.  

‘Handkerchief tea’ got its name from large silk handkerchiefs which Chinese tea growers used to collect their very tippy tea.

‘Chunmee tea’ is Chinese green tea resembling the shape of human eyebrow.

Tea transported on camel from China to Russia in the past was called ‘Caravan Tea’.

In Tibet, ‘Butter tea’ is boiled tea mixed with salt and soda, strained into an urn containing butter and dried barley and churned.  It is served is a basin with lumps of butter.

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

FOR THE RECORD -- 23:

THE IMPACT OF DEMONETISATION ..

'CHAI PRASAD' ..

TEA PROMOTION.. 

TEA TINS AT IITC 2016...

PM AS 'CHAI MAN' ...

INDIA PRODUCING MORE TEA...

(articles in The Assam Review and Tea News, Nov 2016)

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

REPRESENTATION -- 1::

CASHLESS BANKS CAUSE CONCERN .. 

BY P S SUNDAR

(article in The Hindu Business Line issue dated Dec 2, 2016)

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

FOR THE RECORD -- 22 :

TRADING WITH PAKISTAN ..

SPECIALITY TEA AUCTION ..

NPA AGM..

TEA PROMOTION BY TEA BOARD..

INTERVIEW WITH INDONESIAN MINISTER ON TEA..

KAMC PROGRAMME..

CULTURAL PRESENTATION BY NCA..

(articles in The Assam Review & Tea News, Oct 2016)

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