India's tea production dips 13% in January-March quarter

As per the latest data available from the Tea Board, India's tea production in the first quarter of the current calendar year, declined by 13 percent to 82.29 million kg compared to 94.39 million kg of the brew in the January-March quarter of the 2011 calendar year. This decrease in production can be attributed on account of decline in production in North and South India. During March this year the production stood at 47.60 million kg as compared to 56.73 million kg in the year-ago period, a fall of 16 percent.

The total tea production in North India stood at 37.52 million kg in January-March this year as compared to 45.55 million kg in the year-ago period. During March this year the production stood at 31.02 million kg as compared to 38.13 million kg in the year-ago period.

Besides, the total tea production in South India stood at 44.77 million kg in January-March this year as compared to 48.84 million kg in the year-ago period. During March this year the production stood at 16.57 million kg as compared to 18.59 million kg in the year-ago period.

While, tea production in Assam stood at 19.86 million kg in first quarter of 2012 from 27.18 million kg in the same quarter previous year, output in West Bengal fell to 17.53 million kg from 18.20 million kg in the same period.

Since the start of the current calendar year, Tea production has been lagging. The production of the brew fell 11 percent to 18.69 million kg in January 2012 from 20.93 million kg in the same month last year, while output was down by 4 percent to 16 million kg in February 2012 from 16.73 million kg in same period in 2011.