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After the
euphoria over lower Kenyan output in tea, its largest international competitor, the Indian Tea Association (ITA) said loss of rainfall in the North East, which produces 75% of Indian tea, has resulted is lower output.
Assam alone produces 50%-55% of India’s tea.
It said that the country produced 930.85 million kilograms (mkgs) of tea with 703.9 mkgs from the North and 226.9 mkgs from the South and an overall increase of 24 mkgs over last year. However, the ITA estimates that there is a shortfall of 800,000 kgs of tea from January to March this year and it is not clear if this loss in production can be recouped later in the year. Crop patterns in the Nilagiri Hills in
Tamil
Nadu which produces the best tea and volumes from the South showed a dip in January because of deficient rainfall but that has since picked up with rains arriving on time in March and a net increase of 1.2
mkgs.
West
Bengal and lower reaches of Assam have received less rain than usual. This is consistent with what the Government has told
Bangladesh about deficit rainfall resulting in the
River Ganga being at the lowest level in 50 years in
Bangladesh.
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