Domestic tea output down 16% in January

India entered 2016 with a shortage of 16.21 mkg of black tea over 2015 as production dropped to 1191.10 million kg (mkg).

For the first time in many years, the country’s production had fallen over the previous year.

This falling trend has continues in 2016 with Tea Board’s estimate of January 2016 production showing a fall of 3.47 mkg or 16.26 per cent over January 2015.

“Production has fallen in both North and South. In the North, the decline is marginal at 0.87 mkg to dip to 3.31 mkg but in the South, the loss is sharp at 2.60 mkg to reach 14.56 mkg. Consequently, production has fallen to 17.87 mkg from 21.34 mkg, marking a decline of 16.26 per cent,” Rajesh Gupta, compiler of annual Global Tea Digest, told BusinessLine.

All tea producing districts in the country have posted a lower output compared to January 2015 due to adverse weather.

Cachar (-56%) and Dooars (-32%) are the major losing districts in North India.

In the South, Tamil Nadu lost 18 per cent and Kerala 10 per cent.