Tea imports down 23% at 6.40 million kg in Apr-Aug

India's tea imports declined 23% to 6.40 million kg during April-August this fiscal.

The country had imported 8.32 million kg tea in the year-ago period, according to the Tea Board data.

India, the world's largest consumer of tea, imports tea leaves solely for re-exporting them to other countries. The dip in imports thus signals less re-export.

The inbound shipments of tea from most of the countries registered a decline in the first five months of 2011-12.

India imports tea from Kenya, Malawai, Nepal, Iran, Sri Lanka, China, Indonesia, among a few other countries.

Indian tea imports dipped by 29% to 1.21 million kg in August this year, compared to 1.70 million kg in the same period previous year.

During January-August this year, imports of the brew fell 20% to 10.64 million kg, from 13.34 million kg in the year-ago period.
    
India, the second biggest producer of tea in the world, accounts for about 28% of global tea production and 14% of trade. There are about 1,600 tea estates in India. The industry employs more than two million people.