Tea production rose by 16% to 167.11 million kg in October

NEW DELHI: India's tea production in October rose by 16 per cent to 167.11 million kg in October on account of higher output in Assam and West Bengal.

The output stood at 144.49 million kg in the same month last year, the Tea Board said in an estimate.

Tea production in Assam, the largest producer state, increased by 25.59 per cent to 94.97 million kg during the month of October this year from 75.62 million kg in the year ago period.

Similarly, in West Bengal, output increased by 5.69 per cent to 43.64 million kg from 41.29 million kg in the year ago period.

Assam and West Bengal are the two major tea-producing states with their combined production accounting about 83 per cent of the total output in October.

However, the combined output of the brew in South Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka marginally decreased by 1.18 per cent to 25.08 million kg from 25.38 million kg during the period under review.

India is the world's second-largest producer and the biggest consumer of tea.

The country's tea production increased 3.62 per cent to 1,135 million kg in 2012-13 while output stood at 1,095 million kg in 2012.