Indian Tea Exports Likely To Fall Nearly 15% In 2021

Tea trade is declining exports in 2021

The tea trade is bracing for a decline in exports to the tune of 30-40 million kg this yr
as in comparison with 2020, because of the availability of low-cost varieties within the world market and amid commerce restrictions in nations which have historically been robust importers, trade sources mentioned.

The coronavirus-induced financial downturn in a lot of the world can be an element for falling shipments, they mentioned.

For the interval between January to March this yr, exports fell by 13.23 per cent as towards the corresponding interval a yr in the past, and by 29.03 per cent in comparison with 2019, as per Tea Board India information.

Altogether, 45.86 million kg tea was exported from India between January to March in 2021. The determine was 52.85 million kg in 2020 and 64.62 million kg in 2019.

The dip within the share of shipments from North India has been extra in comparison with South India for the reason that final three years.

While the tea export share of South India fell by 5.41 per cent in 2021 between January and March in comparison with the identical interval in 2020, the decline was 25.85 per cent in contrast to 2019.

In case of exports from North India, the determine for the three-month interval was decrease by 17.83 per cent as towards 2020 and 31.04 per cent in comparison with 2019.

"Indian exports have suffered in the last two-three years due to very low prices of Kenyan and Sri Lankan tea. Kenyan tea auction price average is below $2 dollars per kg, which is much lesser than our auction average," Dinesh Bihani, secretary, Guwahati Tea Auction Buyers Association (GTABA), mentioned.