NEW DELHI: India's tea production is likely to decline in the next fiscal as the biggest producing state Assam is witnessing a drought like situation.
“There could be some decline in tea output in the next fiscal as well as towards the end of this fiscal due to a drought-like situation in Assam,” Tea Board Chairman, Mr Basudeb Banerjee said.
Assam accounts for nearly half of India's total tea production. Though the country, which is the world's second largest tea grower after China, expects to achieve its output target of 960 million kg this fiscal, it has trimmed its export forecast by 5 pe r cent to 200 million kg due to less supply from the southern region.
India produced about 945 million kg of tea last year. If the output drops further in next fiscal from the 2008-09 level, shipments may suffer. An industry official said apart from Assam, tea output in the southern region, too, may be impacted by erratic monsoon, leading to a decline in exports next fiscal.
India shipped 157.78 million kg of tea overseas till January this fiscal, while production stood at 912.45 million kg. The country exported 179 million kg of tea in 2007-08 and produced 945 million kg.
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