GUWAHATI, Feb 17 � The total production of tea in Assam in 2009 was 500 million kgs, compared to the 487 million kgs produced by the State in 2008, said tea industry sources here.
In the Brahmaputra Valley, production was ahead by about 12.78 million kgs during the year, while the Barak Valley was behind by about 0.28 million kgs compared to 2008.
However, in the country, overall tea production in 2009 was less by 1.8 million kgs, that is two per cent, compared to 2008. In 2009, the country produced 979 million kgs of tea against the 980.8 million kgs it produced in 2008.
During the year, Kenya was behind by 31.6 million kgs, that is 9.1 per cent and Sri Lanka was behind by 28.9 Million kgs, that is 9.1 per cent, compared to 2008, said the sources.
The Kolkata Tea Auction Centre witnessed an average increase of Rs 18 of price for per kg of tea during the year, compared to what a kg of tea used to fetch in the tea auction centre in 2008. The average price per kg of tea fetched in the tea auction centre in 2009 was 123.05. In 2008, a kg of tea used to fetch Rs 105.12 in the tea auction centre.
The Guwahati Tea Auction Centre also witnessed a rise in the average price of tea during the year. Against the price of Rs 91.71 per kg of tea used to fetch in the Guwahati Auction Centre in 2008, the average price per kg of tea in the auction centre in 2009 was Rs 110.42. This is an increase of Rs 18.70 per kg, said the sources.
Significantly, Indian tea experienced a diminishing trend so far as its export was concerned, in 2009. Export of tea from the country decreased by 11.6 million kgs, that is, by 5.7 per cent, compared to 2008.
In 2009, the country could export 191.5 million kgs of tea, compared to 203.1 million kgs it exported in the preceding year. Though there was a significant increase in the country�s tea export to Iraq in 2009, its tea export to the UK, Iran, UAE and Egypt witnessed a diminishing trend in the year.
Similarly, the export of Kenyan and Sri Lankan tea also decreased by 10.2 per cent and 4.8 per cent respectively during the year, when compared with the figures of 2008, said the sources.
