Tea exports value sets record in 2011

Forbes and Walker Tea Brokers said yesterday that tea industry’s export performance value wise in 2011 was an all time high.

It said total revenue realised of Rs.164.8 billion in 2011 was the highest ever. It surpassed the previous best of Rs. 162.7 billion realised in 2010 by Rs. 2.1 billion.

The record value however was after exports in volume terms declining by 1.8 million kilos to 322.5 million kilos over 2010.

Forbes said tea in bags totalling 27.8m/Kgs showed a gain of 2.1m/Kgs vis-à-vis 25.7m/kgs of 2010. Green tea too show a noteworthy gain compared to the corresponding period of 2010. Tea in bulk together with tea in packets totalling 287.5m/Kgs show a gain of 21.1m/Kgs when compared to 266.1m/Kgs of 2010.

Once again CIS has occupied the No. 1 position with imports totalling 84.3m/Kgs, thus showing a gain of 7.9m/Kgs vis-à-vis 76.4m/Kgs of 2010. Iran and Syria have occupied the second and third positions respectively. Iraq too has imported a significant quantity in 2011 vis-à-vis 2010, thereby occupying the fourth position. Other noteworthy importers are UAE and Turkey.