The Tea Board fears that India's exports in calendar 2011 would not reach last year's level of 193 million kg (mkg).

Till October, the latest period for which data is available, exports totalled 149.97 mkg against 163.17 mkg in 2010. This fall of 13.20 mkg marked a decline of 8.09 per cent. Industry associations have projected the overall exports in 2011 to total 185 mkg, down by 8 mkg or 4.14 per cent.

“I agree that exports would be less than last year particularly because of internal unrest in most West Asian countries besides payment and uncertain off-take problems in Iran”, the Tea Board Chairman, Mr M.G.V.K. Bhanu, told Business Line here.

“Lower exports are causing concern. To boost exports, we have launched an 5-5-5 approach which lays a five-year focus on five specific initiatives in five countries – US, Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran and Egypt – at an outlay of Rs 100 crore”, he said.

“The lower exports come in the context our expectation of a record one billion kg production against last year's 966 mkg. This would mean larger volume being available for domestic market. Given the steady growth in domestic consumption, we are sure that the additional volume would be absorbed”, he noted.

Admitting that domestic promotion is required to augment the consumption of South Indian teas to reduce the North-South enormous price divide, he said, “We will launch media campaign highlighting the positive health impact of tea after working out the budgetary possibilities. We will request Tamil Nadu Government to include in school curriculum lessons on tea's positive health impact. This will help to improve youth's intake”, he said.

“Since adding colour to tea halves consumption and causes health hazards, we will step up action against this in southern States where the problem is rampant”, he observed.

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