Tea exports rise 5.4% on Kenyan shortfall

Kenya is the world’s largest exporter of CTC (crush, tear, curl) tea Mumbai: India’s tea exports in the first five months of 2008 were up 5.4% on rising demand from Pakistan and Egypt and on lower production in Kenya, a senior official with the Tea Board said on Tuesday. Total exports during January-May stood at 65.98 million kg, compared with 62.61 million kg a year ago, said G. Boriah, director of the state-run Tea Board. Production during the same period increased 6.1% to 240.24 million kg. “Higher exports were mainly due to lower production in Kenya as both countries produce same variety of tea,” Boriah said. Kenya is the world’s largest exporter of CTC (crush, tear, curl) tea. The east African country projects output in 2008 will decrease to 335 million kg from 369 million kg last year due to dry weather in growing... [read full story]