Page 3 - Tea Industry

PM Modi spends time at tea estate in Assam, promotes tourism around it

Taking to his X handle, he urged tourists to visit Assam's tea gardens during their visits to the state

Tea industry body welcomes move to sell dust tea through auction route

Tea Association of India (TAI), a body of planters, on Wednesday hailed the decision of the Tea Board for selling dust tea fully through the auction route. On February 26, the board issued an order saying that 100 per cent of dust grades of tea manufactured in a calendar year through the auction mode under Tea (Marketing) Control (Amendment) Order which will be effective from April one, 2024. President of TAI Sandeep Singhania said in a statement that dust grades constitute approximately 20 per cent of total production in North India. Therefore, transitioning to 100 per cent auction of dust tea will be a small step towards restructuring the existing system, he said. TAI said that the tea industry is facing unprecedented challenges and urgent action is required to revitalise the industry. The association is also committed to compliance with the maximum residue levels (MRL) of pesticides and market teas as a healthy beverage. TAI has urged all the stakeholders to collaborate with t

Centre directs 100% auction of dust tea grades from North India

Mohit Agarwal, Director, Asian Tea Company, said that the move would make the tea industry "robust and transparent"

McLeod Russel India submits fresh plan for debt resolution to lenders

It had earlier offered a one-time payment (OTS) of Rs 1,030 crore to lenders in settling the entire outstanding against the loans including interest

Tea exports dip 1.65% during Jan to Oct 2023, reach 182.69 million kg

Tea exports from the country dipped 1.65 per cent at 182.69 million kilogramme during January to October of 2023 as compared to 185.75 million kilogramme in the same period of the previous calendar. Exports from North India during the first 10 months of calendar 2023 stood lower at 110.33 million kilogramme, registering a decline of 4.62 per cent from the preceding similar period, according to Tea Board data. Similarly, exports from South India on the contrary increased 3.25 per cent at 72.36 million kilogramme during January to October of 2023, as against 70.08 million kilogramme in the similar previous period. During calendar 2022, exports of tea stood at 231.08 million kilogramme, registering a rise of 17.57 per cent over 2021 at 196.54 million kilogramme. Sources in the tea industry said that the export scenario remains grim as shipments to Iran are in jeopardy due to the payment problem with that country. Iran traditionally imports 20 per cent of India's tea exports, but that

Pricing to quality: West Bengal GoM to look into tea industry woes

The GoM would also be interacting with stakeholders of the industry to deliberate on the issues facing the industry and where the West Bengal government can help

Rising input costs, lower price realisation in 2023 trouble tea industry

The year witnessed the tea industry facing an uncertain future, plagued by rising input costs and lower price realisation at auctions, making operations unviable. The apex body of the planters, the Indian Tea Association (ITA), has estimated that while tea prices increased at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4 per cent over the past decade, input costs of coal and gas have simultaneously risen at a rate of 9-15 per cent. Secretary general of ITA Arijit Raha said price realisation trends declined alarmingly in 2023 compared to 2022. "While inputs costs have risen, tea prices have not increased in a proportionate manner. This shows that the industry is passing through a crisis," Raha said. ITA said the emergence of small tea growers (STGs) resulted in an exponential rise in production. With internal consumption almost stagnant and the exports scenario depressed, surplus tea has remained in the system. According to Tea Board data, exports of the beverage during January to ..

Tea exports decline 4.93% to to 157.92 million/kg during Jan-Sep

Tea exports from India during January to September declined 4.93 per cent to 157.92 million kg, according to latest Tea Board data. During the first nine months of 2022, exports stood at 166.11 million kg. From North India, primarily the states of Assam and West Bengal, tea exports dropped 6.61 per cent to 96.28 million kg in the reporting period, compared with 103.09 million kg in the corresponding nine months a year ago, the data showed. In the southern region, shipments fell marginally by 2.19 per cent to 61.64 million kg from January to September. During the entire calendar year 2022, tea exports from India stood at 231 million kg. Sources in the Indian Tea Association (ITA), the apex body of planters, said the export scenario remains grim as shipments to Iran are uncertain due to payment issues. The Iran market constitutes nearly 20 per cent of India's total tea exports, followed by the CIS group of countries, they said.

Coca Cola India in tie-up with Luxmi Group's Makaibari for iced green tea

The bottled iced green tea was formally launched on the second and concluding day of the Bengal Global Business Summit

Tea industry in hot water over financial stress and production woes

While tea prices remained stagnant, wages of tea garden workers increased significantly in the last five years

Tea industry passing through acute financial crisis: ITA status paper

Indian Tea Association (ITA), the leading body of tea planters, Thursday said that the industry is passing through a phase of acute financial crisis with prices not keeping pace with the rising costs of production. The ITA in its status paper 'Tea scenario 2023' said while tea prices increased at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of around four per cent over the last decade, costs of vital inputs like coal and gas among others grew at a CAGR of nine per cent to 15 per cent during the same period. Besides, the exponential increase in production following the emergence of small tea growers resulted in surplus teas remaining in the system as domestic consumption and exports have not grown to absorb it, the status paper said. On the price trends of the beverage during the current fiscal, it said tea prices declined alarmingly in 2023 compared to 2022. The auction prices of CTC and dust teas covering sale numbers 14 to 39 are down by Rs 12.49 per kilogram for Assam tea and Rs 11.30

FSSAI analysing tea samples to determine safety standards, says CEO

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is analysing tea samples from various parts of the country to determine whether these were adhering to the safety standards, an official said on Saturday. The official said that FSSAI, a statutory body for regulating food safety, had conducted surveys and collected samples across the tea industry in the country which are presently being analysed regarding the levels of pesticide residues present in them. "Regarding the tea industry, we have conducted surveys and currently analysing the samples which were collected. We will then present our findings to the industry", CEO of FSSAI, G Kamala Vardhana Rao, said. Rao said FSSAI will train the growers, manufacturers, traders and all those involved in the supply chain from tea production to sales. He said FSSAI has also sought the cooperation and support of Tea Board in this endeavour. Rao who also met officials of the Tea Board earlier in the day said the food safety regulator ha

Tea production decreases by around 4% to 177.95 mkgs in August, shows data

Tea production across the country declined by around four per cent to 177.95 million kilograms in August this year as compared to the output in the year-ago month. The production volume in August last year was 185.48 million kgs (mkgs). According to Tea Board data, production in north India, primarily comprising the states of Assam and West Bengal, fell to 158.04 mkgs in the month under review from 170.97 mkgs produced in August, 2022. In Assam, production volumes decreased to 99.78 mkgs in August this year as against 109.81 mkgs in the year-ago month. Production in West Bengal also fell to 53.65 mkgs in August 2023, as against 56.19 mkgs in the corresponding month last year. Tea industry sources said that production in north India declined due to adverse weather conditions and pest attacks. However, production volumes increased in South India, which stood at 19.91 mkgs in August this year as compared to 14.51 mkgs in the same month of 2022.

How to brew stronger exports? Tea board and tea producers differ

Anshuman Kanoria, chairman, Indian Tea Exporters Association (ITEA), says that India would be fortunate to touch 200 million kg exports this year

Tea Board to revert to the old English auction system across India

The Tea Board of India has written to registered auction organisers across the country, producers associations and buyers associations that it has been decided to revert to the old English auction system for which it has issued necessary timelines. The letter issued on Monday said that it has been decided to introduce the practices of the erstwhile English auction system under the ambit of the Bharat auction model. Earlier, the Bharat auction system was introduced in North India in April 2023, while the same was already in force in South India much before. The letter said that the Tea Board had already held consultations with NSEIT Limited regarding the re-introduction of the features of the English auction system in the newly configured software. While the Tea Board had earlier suggested dropping of sale numbers 39 and 40 in all the auction centres across India, the statutory body revoked the decision after producers' bodies said the tea companies would suffer financially if these

National Chai Day: History, Importance, Celebration, Quotes for chai lovers

Chai Day is huge as it celebrates the exotic varieties of tea in India. Chai or tea is also referred to as 'masala chai'. It was first presented in Asia as a herbal drink

Demand for quality tea gardens remains robust despite shrinking margins

Margins are shrinking; prices are stagnant, but the demand for quality tea gardens remains as robust as ever

After dry spell, rains may play spoiler for tea industry in Bengal, Assam

Scanty rain in the first fortnight of June has already caused a crop loss of 15-35% in the two states

Indian tea after 'Sri Lanka effect': Challenge will be to focus on quality

Exports gained when production in troubled island nation dropped sharply in 2022; to maintain that momentum as its competitor bounces back, domestic industry's challenge will be to focus on quality

Tea exports to Russia soar 21%, belying war worries; some lost share gained

Sri Lanka crisis, sanctions on Russia that made sourcing from other countries difficult help domestic industry post better numbers