March tea production recovers

TEA:Tea production recovered dramatically in March after a disastrous February hit by post strike aftereffects and drought. The Sri Lanka Tea Board confirms that March production was 24.6 Mnkg up a healthy 42% on a very low 17.3 Mnkg produced during February this year.

All three elevations have recorded gains on the previous month. The greatest improvement however came from the previously strike hit High and Mid Grown sector up from 3.6 to 7.6 Mnkg (+ 111%) and 2.9 to 4.6 Mnkg (58%) respectively. Low Growns Increased 13% to 12.1 Mnkg from 10.6 Mnkg in February. The 2007 March crop figure of 24.6 Mnkg is however, 15% lower than the 2006 figure of 29.1 Mnkg.

The bad first two months have ensured that Q1 2007 at 63.1 Mnkg is the lowest since 1998. Production of black tea to end March ‘06 was a strong 76.5 Mnkg, making the current year’s figure 17% lower.

High Growns are down 18% from 19.2 Mnkg in ‘06 to 15.8 Mnkg this year. Medium - 19% from 12.7 Mnkg to 10.2 Mnkg. Low Growns were only nominally hit by the strike, but faced the effects of drought and declined 17% from 44.6 Mnkg to 37 Mnkg in ‘07.

Review of the sub districts in the higher elevation shows that Nanuoya/Lindula/Talawakelle, Agarapatana, Bogawantalawa and Maskeliya lost the most crop.

In the Low Country, Ratnapura and Galle sub-districts show the sharpest volume drop.