JANUARY TEA OUTPUT INCREASES
Sri Lanka’s tea production rose a slight six per cent in January compared to the same month a year ago, when output was especially low.
According to the Tea Board tea output in January was 22.41 million kg compared to 21.14 million kg in January 2011. The Tea Board said that this is the normal output. It attributed the increase to the lower production recorded in the previous year.
Sri Lanka’s tea output fell 0.9 per cent to 328.37 million kg last year from a 2010 record of 331.43 million kg. However, higher prices meant 2011’s earnings from the country’s top agricultural export increased 7.1 per cent to a record $1.5 billion.
Tea is one of the $ 59 billion economy’s main foreign currency earners, along with remittances, garment exports and tourism.