India's September tea output rises 5.5 percent

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India's September tea production was up 5.5 percent year on year at 160.65 million kg, helped by a bigger harvest in Assam, the state-run Tea Board said on Friday.

Production in Assam, the top-producing state, jumped 7.7 percent to 92.04 million kg in Septmber, the board said.

India, the world's second-biggest tea producer, exports CTC (crush-tear-curl) grade mainly to Egypt, Pakistan and the United Kingdom, with the orthodox variety exported to Iraq, Iran and Russia.

(Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by David Goodman)