Tea Output Seen At 1,000m Kg

Tea production is expected to go up to 1,000 million kg by 2001-02. According to figures released by the commerce ministry yesterday, tea production is expected to touch 950 million kg in the current financial year, up from 905 million kg in 1999-2000.

After rising continuously for four years, tea production dipped sharply in 1999-2000 due to drought conditions. The government and the Tea Board has taken several steps to increase production, including financial assistance by Tea Board through various developmental schemes for encouraging extension planting, replantng, rejuvenation, pruning, infilling, creation of irrigation facilities and drainage etc.

Indonesia tops the list of countries from which India imports tea, with 4.36 million kgs in 1998-99. Total tea imports have gone up from 1.25 million kgs in 1996-97 to 8.93 million kgs in 1998-99.