Tea exports dip by three per cent in 2019

Tea exports have marginally dipped in 2019 -- from 256.06 million kilogramme (mkg) the year before to 248.29 mkg -- a fall of three per cent, according to Tea Board data.

Value realization during the last calendar year, however, stood at Rs 5,610.65 crore, around Rs 275 crore more than what it was in 2018.

Sources at the Tea Board said the decline could be attributed to the overall dip in exports growth in the country. The major export destinations for Indian tea were the CIS countries, which imported 59.13 mkg of the brew last year, down from 63 mkg the year before, the data showed.

Exports to UK, at 11.74 mkg, saw a fall in 2019, as compared to 15.71 mkg in 2018.

Pakistan, too, imported just about 6.23 mkg tea in 2019, down from 15.84 mkg in the previous calendar year.

Iran, however, emerged as the saviour for India, having imported 53.45 mkg, mostly of orthodox variety, up from 30.78 mkg the year before.

With China being the biggest tea-drinking nation in the world, exports to the country also increased from 10.31 mkg to 13.45 mkg.

Sources said the industry should further push for exports to the CIS block at a lower rate to compete with two major tea-producing countries -- Kenya and Sri Lanka.