Tea exports continue despite Mideast ripples
by Lalin FERNANDOPULLE
Tea production this year is expected to nudge last year’s figures
despite a marginal dip, during the first seven months, said Chairman,
Colombo Brokers Association, Sugath Munasinghe.
He said that production by the end of the year will reach around 320
m kilos despite the adverse weather conditions, during the first half of
the year. Last year 323 m kilos of tea was produced.
Production up to July this year was 195.07 m kilos, this is a drop of
1.04 m kilos compared to the corresponding period in 2010 which was
196.11 m kilos.
Tea production in July this year was 24.1 m kilos which is a drop of
3.2 m kilos compared to the corresponding month last year which recorded
27.3 m kilos.
“The drop in July was due to unfavourable weather. The industry
anticipates good production during the rest of the year”, Munasinghe
said.
He said that despite the turbulence in the Middle East and North
Africa, tea exports have performed well during the first half of this
year.
Around 55 percent of tea exports from Sri Lanka are sent to the
Middle East, Gulf and North African regions.
Director, Promotions Sri Lanka Tea Board, Hasitha De Alwis said that
the consignments reach traditional markets, despite the turmoil in the
region.
Tea exports during the first half of this year was 149.7 m kilos as
against 143.3 m kilos during the corresponding period last year,
reflecting an increase of 6.4 m kilos.
Tea exports to Iran, Iraq, Syria and Libya during the first six
months this year was 38.3 m kilos compared to 35.8 m kilos recorded
during the corresponding period in 2010, reflecting a 6.5 percent
growth.
Syria imported 13.1 m kilos of Ceylon Tea during the first six months
this year compared to 11.8 m kilos during the corresponding period in
2010, which is a 11 percent increase.
De Alwis said that there was a decline of 3.7 m kilos of tea imported
by Libya, due to the escalating hostilities in the country but there has
been a significant increase in cross border trade with access to the
National Transition Council (NTC) controlled eastern regions through
Egypt and shipments to Libya through Tunisia have continued.
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