The November tea production figures of Sri Lanka, Kenya, Malawi, Bangladesh and Indonesia have come out but India’s data stands limited to October.

“According to our compilation of the latest available data, global black tea production in 2012 has fallen by 38.57 million kg (mkg) to total 1746.95 mkg,” Rajesh Gupta, publisher of Global Tea Digest 2012 , told Business Line .

Helped by favourable weather, production in the Nilgiris, the largest tea growing district in the south, increased in December. However, because of lower crop in the previous months, the overall production in the district in 2012 is estimated to have fallen by about 12 per cent over 2011. The corporate sector has reported a production of 13.11 mkg against 14.82 mkg in 2011.

Compared with 2011, productivity fell in most estates in 2012. The overall district yield average has fallen to 1,594 kg a hectare from 1,787 kg in 2011, marking a decline of 10.8 per cent.

The present winter high-grown Nilgiri orthodox quality tea is a premium in world markets. The blackish, well-rolled, clean and type-defined teas with bright infusion and brisk in cup are among the most preferred ones, which face competition from Assam and Sri Lanka. Availability of quality teas has increased in the auction centres this week. Intake has risen in Mombasa auctions following showers with intermittent sunshine in most plantation pockets of Kenya. Limbe auction is getting higher volumes because of rains in Malawi plantation areas. The arrival at Colombo auction is moderate as dry weather is seen in most plantation areas of Sri Lanka but rains are forecasted. Jakarta auction is receiving good arrival following wet weather in Java and Sumatra areas of Indonesia.

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