Erratic rain trims tea output

Tea production in South India is set to decline for the fourth consecutive year owing to erratic monsoon and adverse weather in the growing regions. During the first seven months (January-July) of this year, tea production declined 3.8 per cent to 138.1 million kg from 143.5 million kg in the same period last year.

Though northern states also reported lower crop due to climatic variations during the same period, southern region witnessed longer dry spell in recent years.

“The fall of this magnitude in tea output makes it difficult to recoup the loss in the remaining months, as South India will be reporting a decline for the fourth year in succession,” said R Sanjith, spokesperson, United Planters’ Association of Southern India (Upasi).

Tea production in north India during the first seven months was 332.7 million kg against 348.1 million kg, a year-on-year decline of 4.4 per cent. As a result, the all-India output slipped by 4.2 per cent to 470.8 million kg from 491.6 million kg during the same period. For 2011, tea production in south India was 240.9 million kg, a decline of 1.02 per cent over the previous year. Southern states comprising Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka account for 24 per cent of the country’s annual output. The total output during the year was 988.3 million kg, a marginal growth of 2.3 per cent over the previous year.

“In north India, conventionally after the winter dormancy phase, crop recovers from March, but this year largely due to the erratic weather both first and second flush were not only short but also smaller in size, which gives an indication of bleak tea crop for 2012,” Sanjith told Business Standard ahead of the 119th annual conference of Upasi atop the hill town Coonoor.

Adverse weather is not confined to India alone, as most of the major tea producing nations reported erratic weather patterns resulting in lesser crop intake by 64.8 million kg during the first half of 2012. The crop was lower in all major producing countries during the first five to six months, with Kenya reporting a drop of 21.5 million kg followed by north India by 17.9 million kg, Uganda by 8.8 million kg and Sri Lanka by 7.4 million kg.