Tea imports decline by 7 pc in 2011

NEW DELHI: Tea imports declined by 7 per cent to 18.60 million kg worth Rs 172.69 crore in 2011 calendar year, according to the Tea Board data.

The country had imported 20.04 million kg of tea worth Rs 214.44 crore in the year-ago period.

The unit value of tea increased marginally to Rs 92.84 per kg in 2011 from Rs 92.26 in 2010.

India, the world's largest consumer of tea, imports tea leaves solely for re-export to other countries. The dip in imports, thus, signals lower re-exports.

India imports tea largely from Kenya, Malawi, Nepal, Argentina, Iran, Sri Lanka, China, Canada, Vietnam, the US, the UK, Indonesia among other countries.

India is the second-biggest producer of tea in the world, accounting for about 28 per cent of global output and 14 per cent of trade.

There are about 1,600 tea estates in India and the industry employs more than two million people.

India, the world's second biggest consumer of tea, commands 11 per cent share of the global tea exports and is the fourth biggest exporter of the brew, which stand at 1,729 million kg annually.