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| Sunday, 7 May 2006 |
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Tea production a record high in March by Elmo Leonard Sri Lanka's tea production for March at 29.5 million kilograms is the highest for the month, since in March 2000, 32 million kilos were recorded. "Notwithstanding favourable weather, something has been added into the national yield, from unsold teas during January and February," a tea trade source said. Commenting on the March 2000 figure of 32 million kilos, the Asia Siyaka report said, "But many believed that the year 2000 figure was inflated by addition or accumulated unrecorded production data from the two previous months." Between 2000 and 2006, production for March ranged between 23 and 25 million kilos. This year's production data too seems exceptionally high when considering that in 2005 the figure for March was 24.8 million kilograms, the Asia Siyaka report said. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's arch rival on export volumes of tea, Kenya, who edged out the Indian Ocean island's exports to emerge the world's largest exporter last year, shows a mere 11.67 million kilo crop for February, while Sri Lanka's yield for that month was 22.93 million kilos. At end-February, Kenya's crop stood at 29.61 million kilos, a backdrop of 30.34 million kilos from 59.95 million kilos recorded at end-February 2005. Sri Lanka's crop for February 2006 was 22.93 million kilos and in 2005 it was 21.82 million kilos. At end February, Sri Lanka's crop figure, at 47.82 million kilos, superseded Kenya's 29.61 million kilos. But rains have recommenced in Kenya and its crop for March is expected to have risen, according to the Colombo tea trade. The Bartleet tea report of April 26 shows crop figures of major producing and exporting countries, "todate" at 141.39 million kilos, a backdrop of 158.64 million kilos from 300.03 million kilos, during the corresponding period of 2005. The production factor down, augurs well for Ceylon tea, which competes with the best teas in the world, through the Colombo tea auctions. Sri Lanka's Q1 production, at 76.5 million kilos is a five-year high. This is more than 5 percent over 72.6 million kilos during the first quarter of last year, Anil Cooke of Asia Siyaka said. The highest for the first quarter was 79.5 million kilos, in 2001. In the four years that followed, Q1 averaged around 72 million kilos. The Asia Siyaka report said that the elevational breakdown of tea production in March 2006 YoY 2005 shows low growns recording a sharp increase of 26 percent i.e. 15.8 million kilograms against 12.5 million kilos. High growns too increased 13 percent to 7.8 million kilos from seven million kilos last year. Mid growns achieved a very modest gain during the period. In spite of these increases both high and mid grown segments trailed the 2005 figures by around 4 percent. In contrast the low growns are up 13 percent from 39.3 million kilos in 2005 to 44.6 million kilos in 2006. This increase along has taken the national total up to 76 million kilos a gain of 5 percent on the previous year's Q1 figure of 72.6 million kilos. |
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