Global tea output falls 1.31% in 2011

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

Coonoor: With all major producing countries except India reporting a lower output, the global black tea production in calendar 2011 has registered a 1.31 per cent decline over 2010, reveals an analysis of the latest data available with trade bodies and the Tea Board.

“According to our compilation, global black tea production declined to 1931.16 million kg (mkg) from 1956.74 mkg in 2010,” Rajesh Gupta, Director, Global Tea Brokers, told Business Line on Thursday.

This reduction of 25.58 mkg marks a decline of 1.31 per cent.

Kenya posted the largest decline of 21.10 mkg to dip to 377.90 mkg, followed by Indonesia 10.70 mkg (production: 56.30 mkg); Uganda 6.96 mkg (40.28); Malawi 4.50 mkg (47.10 mkg) and Sri Lanka 3.06 mkg (328.37 mkg). Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh have also posted a lower output.

Consequently, India was the only country recording an increase in production. Here again, South India’s output declined 2.49 mkg to dip to 240.88 mkg. North India was the only major region among all tea producing zones in the world, where production of black tea had increased. It showed a significant gain of 24.42 mkg to reach 747.45 mkg. Collectively, India produced 988.33 mkg, up by 21.93 mkg over 2010.

Nevertheless, this increase was inadequate to make good the output loss recorded by all other nations.