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World tea production hits record high for 2004 and exports rise – UN report

World tea production hits record high for 2004 and exports rise – UN report

Workers picking tea in Kenya
World tea production last year reached a record 3.2 million tons, 50,000 tons more than in 2003, with increases in several countries more than offsetting declines in the major producers India and Bangladesh, according to a report released today by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

World tea production last year reached a record 3.2 million tons, 50,000 tons more than in 2003, with increases in several countries more than offsetting declines in the major producers India and Bangladesh, according to a report released today by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The expansion was due mainly to increases recorded in Turkey, China, Kenya, Malawi, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, while in India tea production declined by 4.3 percent to around 820,200 tons due to unfavourable weather conditions and the closure of up to 70 tea gardens in Assam state.

World tea exports increased by 4.4 per cent in 2004 to 1.47 million tons, with all major exporters registering a rise, according to the report released ahead of a meeting of the Intergovernmental Group on Tea in Bali, Indonesia, from 20 to 22 July.

Tea prices opened at $1.56 per kilogram in January 2004 and closed at $1.73 in December, reflecting an improvement on the demand side, FAO said.