Tea exports from the country are expected to be more in the current calendar than in 2017 despite some reduction in prices because of higher volumes slated for shipment.

According to the latest data available with the Tea Board, in the first half of the current calendar year, exporters reduced their price marginally, by 88 paise a kg, to average ₹194.26 a kg against ₹195.14 in the first half of 2017. The major price loss was in South India.

This helped the volume shipped to rise to 112.1 million kg (mkg) from 107.2 mkg. This increase of 4.9 mkg marked a gain of 4.55 per cent. Besides, the higher volume shipped helped the overall realisation to increase by ₹85 crore to ₹2,177 crore. Tea exports from North India rose to 66.7 mkg, valued at ₹1,435 crore, from 65.5 mkg valued at ₹1,435 crore. Here, the average price rose to ₹215.02 a kg from ₹211.58.

South India exported 45.3 mkg of tea worth ₹742 crore against 41.7 mkg worth ₹706 crore in H1 of 2017. Here, the prices dropped to ₹163.72 a kg from ₹169.32.

Exporters said that if this trend continues, overall shipments in 2018 will be a little higher than the level of 252 mkg exported in 2017.