 "Tea Garden")
The Tea Board of India is looking to double tea exports to Australia in the next five years, from the present 3 million kg, considering the high demand for specialist teas, a top official has said.
Indian tea exports to Australia stood at 3 million kg and considering the demand for more specialist and premium teas, the Board is eyeing to double it in the next five years, Executive Director of Tea Board, Coonoor, C Paulrasu, told reporters here on Saturday.
Paulrasu, who was on a visit to Australia with a 15-member delegation recently, said, with 15 million kg market, Australia was looking only for speciality teas, like green teas, organic teas and premium teas with value addition.
Stating that tea exports had gone up by 10 per cent year-on-year in 2015-16 to touch 221 million kg, he said, Indian exporters were fully geared to cater to the International market.
As far as tea production in South India is concerned, Paulrasu, here to attend the annual general meeting of Tea Traders Association of Coimbatore, said the production has witnessed a dip of 21 million kgs to 121 million kg, during the first seven months, compared to 142 mn kg during corresponding period last year.
This was mainly due to erratic rainfall followed by extended periods of drought in major producing pockets, he noted.
