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Despite its improved performance in February, the cumulative production of the Indian tea industry in the first two months of the current calendar is trailing behind the corresponding period of 2018 due to the nil production in January in North India.
“Tea Board has just released the data for February which shows that the country’s production that month rose to 14.69 million kg (mkg) from 13.48 mkg in February 2018. This increase of 1.21 mkg marked a gain of 8.98 per cent”, Rajesh Gupta, compiler of annual Global Tea Digest , told Business Line .
The production increased despite a fall in the South because of a significant rise in the North.
The South Indian production dipped to 10.08 mkg from 11.63 mkg, marking a loss of 1.55 mkg or 13.33 per cent due to drought conditions.
On the contrary, the North Indian production rose to 4.61 mkg from 1.85 mkg, marking a gain of 2.76 mkg or as much as 149.19 per cent. This more than offset the loss in the South.
Following the Tea Board’s order to stop production since December 10, there was no production in January in North India. So, the combined production of January and February there was the same as February production given above. This was 2.53 mkg or 35.43 per cent less than the production of January-February 2018.
On the contrary, South India’s cumulative output in these two months rose marginally to 24.04 mkg from 24.02 mkg, just 0.08 per cent gain.
“Collectively, India’s production in the first two months dropped to 28.65 mkg from 31.16 mkg, marking a loss of 2.51 mkg or 8.06 per cent”, Rajesh Gupta said.
As of now, Tamil Nadu tops the production table at 16.25 mkg (up 0.18 mkg) followed by Kerala at 7.20 mkg (down 0.21 mkg).
Except Dooars, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, all regions in the country have posted a decline in output so far this year, Rajesh Gupta noted.
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