Total Ceylon Tea output for first seven months up 19.6%

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s Ceylon Tea production was down 1.1 percent in July 2021 from a year earlier to 26.1 million kilograms but total output for the first seven months was up 19.6 percent from a lockdown hit 2020, data cited by Ecnomy Next shows.

In July, high growth teas were down 1.2 percent 5.79 million kilograms, medium grown was up 11 percent to 4.7 million kilograms and low grown were down 4.6 percent to 15.5 million kilograms, industry data published by Ceylon Tea Brokers show.

Low grown teas, mostly grown by small holders and exported to the Middle East and Central Asia are the most sought after and expensive Ceylon Teas now.

There have been concerns that a ban on fertilizer and agrochemicals will hurt Sri Lanka’s tea output.

Sri Lanka banned fertilizer and agrochemicals after money printing created forex shortages and over health concerns.

Sri Lanka’s Government Medical Officers Association, a key policy advisory group, had said according to Roman author and natural philosopher Pliny the Elder, ancient Sri Lankans lived over 140 years and after agrochemicals non-communicable diseases had worsened.

In the first seven months of 2021, tea output was up 19.6 percent to 187.8 million kilograms.