New Delhi, July 20 (IANS) India’s tea exports rose by 2.85 per cent in the 2024-25 financial year compared to the previous fiscal, reflecting a second year of robust demand for the country’s high-quality product, according to data released by the Tea Board.

The tea exports from the country increased from 250.73 million kilograms to 257.88 million kilograms, the data showed.

There was also a surge in shipments from North India, with the region recording an 8.15 per cent rise in exports to 161.20 million kilograms during 2024-25 compared to 149.05 million kilograms in 2023-24.

The value of tea exports in price per kilogram increased to Rs 290.97, which represents an increase of 12.65 per cent over the corresponding figure of Rs 258.30 in the 2023-24 fiscal, leading to higher realisations.

During the calendar year January to December 2024, the quantity of tea exports touched 256.17 million kilograms, a robust 10.57 per cent increase over the same period of the previous year.

Exports from North India during the calendar year 2024 stood at 155.49 million kilograms, while from South India, it stood at 100.68 million kilograms, registering a rise of 10.28 per cent and 11.02 per cent respectively, the data showed.

India is among the top 5 tea exporters in the world, accounting for about 10 per cent of total world exports. India’s Assam, Darjeeling, and Nilgiri teas are considered some of the finest in the world. Most of the tea exported out of India is black tea, which makes up about 96 per cent of total exports. The other varieties include regular tea, green tea, herbal tea, masala tea and lemon tea.

India exports tea to more than 25 countries, with UAE, Iraq, Iran, Russia, the US and the UK as the major markets.

The government has taken several steps to boost tea output, help create a niche brand for Indian tea and ensure the welfare of the families associated with the tea industry.

The Assam Valley and Cachar are the two tea-producing regions in Assam. In West Bengal, Dooars, Terai and Darjeeling are the three major tea-producing regions. The southern part of India produces about 17 per cent of the country’s total output, with the major producing states being Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka.

Small tea growers are the emerging sector contributing nearly 52 per cent of the total produce. Presently, there are nearly 2.30 lakh small tea growers existing in the supply chain.

The Union Government, through the Tea Board, has taken several steps to benefit this segment. These include the formation of 352 Self Help Groups (SHGs), 440 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) and 17 Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs).

Various interactions are also carried out with STGs for quality plucking, capacity building and rush crop management. Besides, assistance has been provided towards the procurement of pruning machines and mechanical harvesters.

Mini tea factories have also been set up to encourage entrepreneurs and unemployed youth.

The Indian tea Industry employs 1.16 million workers directly, and an equal number of people are associated with it indirectly.

–IANS

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