PS Sundar

Despite heavy showers in October, the production of tea in the Nilgiris, the largest tea growing district in South India, was lower than that of October 2018 due to fewer sunshine hours.

The Nilgiris received rains on 20 days last month but the sunshine was less than four hours per day on the average. For many days, many tea estates did not receive any sunshine at all.

This affected tea production because for a good growth of the tea bushes, rain with intermittent sunshine is necessary.

Tea companies in the Nilgiris have reported to the Tea Board that their production in October dropped to 1.63 million kg (mkg) from 1.67 mkg, a decline of 2.40 per cent.

However, the production was more than the normal as measured by five-year mean of 1.40 mkg, marking a gain of 16.43 per cent.

Owing to lower production in earlier months as well, tea companies’ cumulative production in the Nilgiris till October dropped to 11.27 mkg from 13.45 mkg in Jan-Oct 2018, marking a fall of 16.21 per cent.

This was lower than the normal as measured by 5-year mean for the period which was 12.66 mkg – down by 10.98 per cent.

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