Nilgiris tea output in 2015 up 3%

Tea companies in the Nilgiris have reported to Tea Board that their production in December was less than the same month last year but helped by higher output in previous months, the overall production in calendar 2015 was higher than 2014.

Following lower rainfall last month compared to December 2014, the precipitation in the soil was inadequate to harvest more tea. This reduced the manufactured tea output by 19 per cent as tea companies reported a production of 0.74 million kg (mkg) compared to 0.91 mkg in December 2014. The five-year mean production for December was 0.95 mkg.

However, because of higher production in earlier months, the overall output in calendar 2015 rose marginally by three per cent to reach 15.45 mkg from 15 mkg in 2014. It was more than the five-year mean of 14.33 mkg by eight per cent.

Last month, all five agro-climatic zones of the Nilgiris received less rainfall than in December 2014 but it was close to decennial (10-year) average for the month, meteorological sources told BusinessLine.