The Indian tea industry harvested its highest tea crop of 1,350 million kg for fiscal 2019 and 1,338.6 million kgs for the calendar year according to official statistics.
The figures show that the small tea growers now have a 48% share in the country’s tea output with West Bengal’s Terai region small growers having the highest share of 73.6% and Tamil Nadu having a 61.2% share.
In 2017 the STG share was around 46.4%, it was learnt.
An analysis of the figures shows that production in north India rose between June and September, but declined in December and January.
Production in south India declined in major months except October and December when significant increase was seen.
“Tea Board is now doing a baseline survey to gauge estate-wise production, equipment use and also the actual acreage under tea,” Deputy Chairman, Tea Board, Arun Kumar Ray told The Hindu .
Output in north India rose 2.5%, with Assam — accounting for half of India’s tea crop — showing a 2.5% rise. Darjeeling crop stood at 7.7 million kg in 2018. Tamil Nadu saw a 4.8% drop, trending a similar crop shortfall in the two other tea growing States of the south, Karnataka and Kerala.
