India’s tea production in the first quarter of the current year grew by 34.30% as compared to the same months of Q1 of 2020 with all of the producing regions posting an increase.

According to Rajesh Gupta, the compiler of the annual Global Tea Digest, the Tea Board has just released the official data for tea production in March which shows an increase of 22.71 million kg (mkg) or 51.92% over March 2020. The production grew from 43.74 mkg in March 2020 to 66.45 mkg. As per the data collected in the compilation, in the first quarter of the current year, India produced 99.84 mkg against 74.34 mkg in Jan-March 2020, with an increase of 25.50 mkg, recording a remarkable growth of 34.30%. Tea production increased in both South and North India. In South India, the production rose from 40.61 mkg to 50.79 mkg, an increase of 10.18 mkg marking a gain of 25.07%.

Tamil Nadu became India’s largest tea producer with an output of 33.98 mkg against 27.77 mkg in Jan-Mar 2020 an increase of 6.21 mkg or 22.36%. Kerala produced 15.52 mkg against 11.76 mkg in Jan-Mar 2020, an increase of 3.76 mkg or 31.97%. In North India, the production has started just after the prolonged closure for winter, with the North Indian output rising from 33.73 mkg to 49.05 mkg, posting a gain of 15.32 mkg or a huge 54.42%. Assam’s production rose from 12.24 mkg to 20.27 mkg, an increase of 8.03 mkg or a huge 65.60%. West Bengal’s output increased from 20.74 mkg to 27.54 mkg, a growth of 6.80 mkg or 32.79%. However, a drought-like situation prevails in the plantation areas in North India and planters fear a loss of over 25% in output in April and May.