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With the November tea production, Sri Lanka's tea production was set to achieve a record output as at end December 2002. The bumper harvest in the month boosted production volumes to 28 million kg 0.7 million kg behind the highest ever figure for the month recorded in 2000. From last year, it is an improvement by 3.9% or a little over one million kg.

Plenty of rain during this period and the preceding months was the main reason for this increase. Similarly, December too had good rainfall and hence one can easily anticipate production to be in excess of the 25 million kg mark for that month.

The largest increase compared to the previous year cumulatively came from the High Grown regions with a little over 11 million kg (17%), and the Low Grown production figures edging slightly ahead by 1.7 million kg (1.2%). The Medium Grown volume however is about similar or slightly lower at 48.7 million kg. The total crop therefore as at end November for last year was 281.1 million kg, comparing favourably by as much as nearly 13 million kg or a 4.8% from the previous year.

The biggest increase in December was likely to come from the Low Grown plantations, as November bore evidence of this possibility with an increase of nearly 3M kg (21%) when compared to a slight drop in the High Grown elevation (0.5M kg) and also the Mediums dipping by 1.3 million kg during the month. The total national crop for the month last year is therefore helped by the increase in the Low Grown volume.

Tea Export volumes on the other hand up to end November, recorded a slight drop last year, cumulatively from January. The negative variance was 1.67 million kg or 0.6% in comparison to the previous year. Last year's exports tally to 269.2 million kg whilst the previous year to end November Sri Lanka exported 270.9 million kg. It was again quite likely that, last year too, Sri Lanka's export volumes by the end of December 2002 would match up to the previous year's record volume of 294.5 million kg.

The CIS Countries who are our largest buyers have more or less matched the total quantity of tea purchased during the whole of the previous year in the first 11 months of the last year.

Total export earnings grew last year to Rs. 58 billion, only slightly above the 56 billion earned the previous year, particularly taking into account the Rupee depreciation, the real market value was indeed lower.

52% of our total export earnings last year came from 64% of bulk teas exported, whereas the previous year, the bulk volume of 63% secured 54% of the total earnings. Almost all the other forms of exports, which are in value added form, showed appreciable gains in their unit values. (Source: John Keells Ltd)

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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