The setback witnessed in tea production in the Nilgiris, the largest tea growing district in South India, in January continued in February as well. The production was below the normal level as measured by the five-year mean for the month and period.
Tea companies in the district have reported to the Tea Board that their production in February dropped to 0.77 million kg (mkg) from 0.82 mkg in February 2017, marking a decline of 6.10 per cent.
The five-year mean production for February was 0.87 mkg. That means, the production has fallen by 11.49 per cent compared to the normal output for February.
Adverse weather is said to be the cause for this crop loss. Besides the lack of rains, there were huge losses due to frost-bite.
Due to low temperature, about 280 hectares of tea fields were reportedly affected by frost in January.
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