Tea exports rise by 7% during April-February FY18

India's tea exports grew by nearly 7 per cent to 221.54 million kg during April-February period of 2017-18 (FY18) as compared to 207.22 million kg exported in the corresponding period the previous fiscal.

According to provisional data of Tea Board India, tea exports to Pakistan grew significantly to 14.13 million kg in the period under review, up by over 31 per cent from 10.77 million kg during the year-ago period.

The shipment of the crop to China was also up by nearly 39 per cent to 7.81 million kg in April-February of FY18 as against 5.63 million kg in the same period of 2016-17.

Overall tea exports, in value terms, stood at Rs 4,361.64 crore during the 11 months of the last fiscal, up by about 2.8 per cent from Rs 4,242.64 crore in the year-ago period.

In volume, tea exports to CIS countries, including Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and others, were at 52.45 million kg in the April-February period of 2017-18, down from 55.33 million kg in the same period of 2016-17.

Exports to the UK also fell marginally to 14.51 million kg during the months under review as against 14.86 million kg in the year-ago period while exports at 8.76 million kg to Germany during the period were also down from 9.96 million kg.

However, tea exports to Iran went up to 27.09 million kg in the period under review, from 22.90 million kg in the year-ago period.

As much as 9.92 million kg of tea was shipped to Egypt during the 11 month period of 2017-18, up from 3.80 million kg in the year-ago period.

Tea exports to Bangladesh fell sharply by 95 per cent from 6.69 million kg during the 11 months of FY17 to 0.34 million kg during the corresponding months of FY 18. Exports to Sri Lanka stood at 3.32 million kg, up from 2.49 million kg.

During January-February 2018, tea export was up marginally by 3.16 per cent to 41.42 million kg as against 40.15 million kg exported in the year-ago period. In value terms, exports during the two months also rose to Rs 800.01 crore as compared to 780.17 crore in January-February of 2017.

India achieved the highest tea exports in 2017 (January-December) after 36 years, pegged at 240.68 million kg.

--IANS

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