Sri Lanka tea crop seen matching last year’s record

Aug 25, 2011 (LBO) - Although Sri Lanka's tea crops have fallen in recent months, the island is likely to match last year's record production with output seen reviving later in the year, a broker said.



"Despite a downturn in production in the month of July, tea production is on course to achieve last years all time record," brokers John Keells said in a report.

The production for July 2011 fell 12 percent to 24.

1 million kilos from a year ago with the decline mainly from tea produced in the medium and higher elevations where weather conditions have not been conducive for growth, they said.

The 196.7 million kilos produced in the first seven months in the year represents a "marginal decrease" of 0.

53 percent over last year, they said.

"Production from all elevations is expected to peak in the last quarter of the year and given good weather conditions, we could expect to see yet another good year," John Keells said.

A noteworthy feature of this year™s production has been the increase of 3.19 percent recorded by high growns compared to the corresponding period of last year, the brokers said.