Sri Lanka July 2011 tea output falls sharply

Aug 24, 2011 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's July 2011 tea production fell sharply from a year ago, owing to erratic weather conditions, reducing total crop for the year so far to slightly below that of the same 2010 period.

Sri Lanka Tea Board statistics showed the July 2011 crop fell 11.5 percent to 24.2 million kilos from the previous year, with lower output in all three elevations.

Production of low grown teas, which make up the bulk of the crop, fell 9.3 percent to 14.7 million kilos while high grown tea output fell 13.7 percent to 5.7 million kilos. The medium grow elevation crop was also lower.

The shortfall in July 2011, which came after a 7.9 percent fall in tea production in June to 28.

8 million kilos, for the first time in the year reduced total output so far to just below that of last year. Total tea production in the January - July 2011 period is now down just 0.5 percent to 195.7 million kilos compared with the same period in 2010.

The Tea Board has been saying it expects full-year tea output to hit a new record high exceeding the record of 329.4 million kilos in 2010 when good weather boosted crops.