April tea production marginally up 6 per cent

The output stands at 75.13 mn kg in April this year on higher output in Assam and Kerala

Tea production is estimated to have risen by about 6 per cent to 75.13 million kg in April this year on higher output in Assam and Kerala, according to the Tea Board.

Tea output stood at 70.99 million kg in the same month last year, it in a report. Production of tea in Assam rose by 16 per cent to 41.87 million kg in the month against 36.05 million kg in the year-ago period.

Kerala saw 40 per cent jump in output to 5.15 million kg, from 3.67 million kg in last year, the Board data showed. However, production fell by 4.58 per cent to 11.67 million kg in West Bengal and by 18.35 per cent to 14.55 million kg in Tamil Nadu. Over 80 per cent of the tea is produced in northern parts of the country.

Last year, the country had harvested 1,135.07 million kg of tea, higher by 3.6 per cent from the 2011-12 fiscal. Of which 220.46 million kg of exported in the same period.