Nilgiris tea output falls 19% in March

Lockdown has brought down the tea creation in the Nilgiris in March by 19.08 for each cent.

Tea providers in the district have knowledgeable Tea Board that their creation in March declined to one.06 million kg (mkg) from one.31 mkg in March 2018 since of the lockdown.

The creation was decrease by ten.ninety two for each cent above the five-calendar year imply typical of one.19 mkg for the month. However, the cumulative output in the very first quarter (Q1) of present calendar was up since of increased creation in January and February.

The cumulative Q1 output rose to two.ninety eight mkg from two.86 mkg in Jan-March 2019, marking a acquire of 4.twenty for each cent.

This creation was increased by five.30 for each cent above the standard output for the quarter as calculated by the five-calendar year imply typical, which was two.83 mkg.

Most tea providers have resumed creation just after a brief crack for lockdown and they expect a superior output in April. This follows the Centre and the State governments dealing with tea as an essential field, agricultural exercise and foods merchandise.

However, normalcy will return only when teas commence shifting out to the various places across the region.

Warehouses complain that teas purchased in Sale nine of the auctions of Coonoor Tea Trade Affiliation (CTTA) held on February 27 and 28 are yet to shift out thanks to transportation bottlenecks. Thereafter, three far more auctions were being done and the teas purchased in these auctions are also stockpiled.

In the meantime, the CTTA had announced that Sale 13, which stands postponed given that March twenty, is scheduled for April eighteen but this is subject matter to the district collector permitting the transportation of teas.