Tea output rises marginally to 1,213 mn kg in 2015-16

India's tea output rose marginally by 1 per cent to 1,213 million kg in 2015-16, on account of higher production in West Bengal and Assam.
The country had produced 1,197 million kg in 2014-15, according to the tea board data.
In 2015-16, tea production from these two states rose to 963 million kg from 938 million kg a year ago.
West Bengal and Assam are the two states which together account for about 80 per cent of the tea produced in the country.
India is the world's second biggest tea producer and also one of the largest consumers. Tea plucking in India mainly starts between July and October.

The overall shipments of tea rose 10 per cent to Rs 4,200 crore in 2015-16 from Rs 3,824 crore in the previous fiscal.
The country exports CTC (crush-tear-curl) grade tea to countries like Egypt, the UK, and other traditional varieties to Iraq, Iran and Russia.