India's tea output declined by 15% to 67.21 million kg in April this year, mainly due to fall in production in southern states, as per the data compiled by the Tea Board. During the same period last year Tea production was at 78.76 million kg.
Assam, West Bengal and other North-eastern states account for 80% of the total tea production. In April this year, the combined production of tea from these states stood at 50.23 million kg, as against 53.93 million kg in the previous year. Tea output from southern states declined by about 32% to 16.98 million kg from 24.83 million kg during the same period last year.
During the financial year 2015-16, India recorded the highest ever Tea production of 1,233.14 million kg during and also exported 232.92 million kg of Tea valued at Rs 4,493.10 crore, breaching the 230 million kgs mark after 35 years. In last fiscal also, there was a decline in tea production in southern India due to adverse climatic conditions and labour issues in Kerala.