Bad weather affects Indian tea production

KOLKATA: The erratic weather condition in north and south India has affected tea production in the country. Tea output in April has dipped by 16.51% to 60.98 million kg from 73.04 million kg a year ago.

Production in the Terai, Dooars and Darjeeling regions of West Bengal fell to 10.88 million kg from 11.95 million kg last year, a drop of around 9%. Of this, Darjeeling contributed 1.13 million kg (1.14 million kg last year), the Dooars 5.86 million kg (6.48 million kg) and Terai 3.87 million kg (4.32 million kg).

Output in Assam dipped 18.04% to 30.34 million kg from 37.02 million kg a year ago with Assam valley contributing 26.72 million kg, 7.21 million kg less over the year-ago period, and Cachar producing 3.6 million kg (3.08 million kg).

Production in north India fell 15.83% to 41.62 million kg from 49.45 million kg. South India contributed 19.36 million kg compared to 23.59 million kg a year ago, a decline of around 18%.

For January-April, 2012, all-India production fell 24.15 million kg to 143.28 million kg over the same period last year. Tea production in West Bengal was down 1.74 million kg at 28.41 million kg, a decline of 5.8%. In March, too, production in the country had declined around 16% to 47.60 million kg owing to bad weather.