According to official data, tea exports from India have declined by 1.17 per cent to 207.14 million kilograms during the January-November period of 2023.
The nation shipped out 209.60 million kilograms of tea during a similar 11-month period of the previous year. In the calendar year 2022, total tea exports were 231.08 million kilograms.
According to Tea Board data, region-wise, exports from North India, comprising primarily the states of Assam and West Bengal, stood at 125.27 million kilograms, down from 132.21 million kilograms during the comparable periods of 2023 and 2022, respectively.
According to the data, shipments from South India during the January–November period of 2023 increased to 81.87 million kilograms from 77.39 million kilograms in the previous similar period.
Industry sources said that the decline in exports was due to the volume loss in the Iran market, stemming from payment problems. The Iranian market accounts for 20 per cent of India’s total tea exports after the Commonwealth of Independent States bloc.
The sources further mentioned that the export scenario for the full calendar year 2023 remains bleak as shipments to the West Asian country remain uncertain.
The estimated production in December 2023 stood at 77.52 million kilograms, higher from 64.53 million kilograms in the same month of the previous year.