India’s tea exports up by 7% during Apr-Jan 2017-18

The Dollar Business Bureau

Tea exports from India recorded a growth of 7% and reached 200.67 million kg during the period April-January of the current fiscal as compared to the same period last fiscal.

India’s tea exports stood at 188.10 million kg during the first 10 months of the fiscal 2016-17, as per the data of Tea Board.

Among the key importers, CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries such as Russia, Germany, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, the exports fell to 46.92 million kg during said period from 49.63 million kg in the same period of 2016-17.

However, exports to Pakistan, China, Egypt and Iran recorded a growth. 

Tea exports to Pakistan during the 10-month period stood at 12.73 million kg, as against 9.65 million kg in the corresponding period last year, while tea shipments to China were 6.66 million kg during the period, up from 5.14 million kg. 

In value terms, tea exports stood at Rs.3,970 crore in the April to January period of the current fiscal, an increase of around 2.5% as compared to Rs.3,874 crore worth of exports in the year-ago period, as per the Tea Board data.

However, in the month of January, exports were slightly down by 2.28% to 20.55 million kg from 21.03 million kg in the same month a year ago. In terms of value, exports during January also declined to Rs.408.74 crore as compared to Rs.412.35 crore in the same month in 2017. 

During the 10-month period, exports to the UK also declined to 13.66 million kg from 13.96 million kg in the similar period a year ago while exports to Germany were down to 7.98 million kg during the given period, from 8.76 million kg. 

Iran importers sourced 24.62 million kg of Indian tea during the said period in current financial year, as compared to 21.06 million kg in the corresponding period last year.

Around 8.87 million kg of tea was exported to Egypt during the April-January 2017-18, up from 2.98 million kg in the same period a year ago.

India’s tea exports has touched the highest during January-December 2017 after 36 years, stood at 240.68 million kg.