India's tea exports dip 6.6% in Oct

India's tea exports have dipped by 6.6 per cent to 19.6 million kg in October this year compared to the same month last year, Tea Board said in a statement. 

India had exported 21 million kg tea in October 2009. 

While North India's its contribution to the export kitty dipped to 10.8 million kg during the month from 13.2 million kg in October last year.

South India bettered its tally by one million kg to 8.7 million kg in October this year than the year-ago period.

During the current year's January-October period, exports of tea from the country, however, improved to 163 million kg compared to 157.6 million kg in the same period last year.

However,exports fetched less forex so far during the year than in the year-ago period because of lower average prices in the international market.

India's tea exports fetched Rs 2,162 crore in the current year's January-October vis-a-vis Rs 2206 crore in the same period last year.

The average price of Indian tea in international market during the January-October period of the current year was just Rs 132.58 a kg compared to Rs 139.97 per kg in one year ago.

Basudeb Banerjee, who recently relinquished from the post of Tea Board Chairman, had earlier said that tea exports from the country could be around 200 million kg this year.