Tea exports declined by 20% in July

The country's tea exports fell by nearly 20 per cent to Rs 209.8 crore in July, according to data released by the Tea Board today. Tea exports stood at Rs 260.1 crore in July 2009.

In volume terms, the total shipments of tea declined by nearly 9 per cent to 16.58 million kg in July, as against 18.2 million kg in the corresponding month last year, the board said.

The exports in value terms during January-July period of this year rose by nearly 10 per cent to Rs 1,393 crore in contrast to Rs 1,269.7 crore in the corresponding period in 2009.

However, the exports, in terms of volume, rose by 15 per cent during the first seven months of the current year to 107.29 million kg from 93.23 million kg in the same period last year.

The country exported 197.9 million kg of tea in the 2009 calendar year.

Tea production in India, the world's largest producer, declined to 123.1 million kg in July 2010 from 126.7 million kg in the same month last year. The fall was mainly due to a dip in tea output in Assam by about 4.6 million kg.