Kanan Devan Hills Plantations to improve performance this year

KOCHI: Kanan Devan Hills Plantations Company Ltd. (KDHP), the largest tea corporate in South India, owned by the employees of erstwhile Tata Tea Ltd, is expecting better profit and production in the current fiscal.

The Munnar-based company's tea production will reach 24 to 25 million kg this year, up by 2 or 3 million kg year-on-year. We didn't have a heavy monsoon or extreme cold weather, which has been good for the tea plantations,'' said company MD Chacko P Thomas. The net profit has already grown three times from Rs 6 crore last year.

As part of strengthening its operations, the KDHP launched Madupetty premium CTC tea in the Kochi auctions. This follows the existing successful auction varieties from the company like Chokanad, Kanniamallay, Vagavurrai and Gundumally, all named after the estates from where the leaves are plucked. Chacko Thomas said the new launch is targeted at Kerala market. He said the company will soon introduce new variants of its retail brand Ripple in the market.