India's July tea output drops 6.7 pct on lower rains-Board
04/09/2018 10:46
MUMBAI, Sept 4 (Reuters) - India's tea production fell 6.7
percent in July from a year ago to 151.38 million kgs as
plucking fell in the top two producing states due to lower
rainfall, the state-run Tea Board said on Tuesday.
The country's tea output in the first seven months of 2018
fell 5 percent from a year ago to 583.84 million kg, it said.
"Lower rainfall in Assam hit productivity. We lost crop in
southern states as well," said Azam Monem, chairman of Indian
Tea Association, adding "production in 2018 would be lower than
last year."
Assam, the country's top tea producing state, and second
biggest producer West Bengal have received about 20 percent
lower-than-normal rainfall in the current monsoon season that
started on June 1, data compiled by India Meteorological
Department showed.
India, the world's second-biggest tea producer, exports CTC
(crush-tear-curl) grade mainly to Egypt, Pakistan and the United
Kingdom, and the orthodox variety to Iraq, Iran and Russia.
(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by Sunil Nair)
((rajendra.jadhav@thomsonreuters.com; +91-22-6180-7153 ;
Reuters Messaging:
rajendra.jadhav.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))