Black tea farming in Kenya. Photo courtesy.

Kenya has surpassed India in the world key black tea markets which include Europe, Pakistan and Egypt in the second half of this year. This is after Indian tea failed to maintain the 10 per cent higher prices the country had in the first half of 2018, in the world markets.

Industry executives feel that it will be difficult to cross last year’s export of 240.68 million kg this year because of Kenya’s stronghold in global markets.

“Kenyan crop is expected to be around 480-490 million kg this year against 430 million kg last year. There had been good rains in the African nation resulting in higher crop from July. This has given them the advantage of offering more tea to the black tea drinking nations,” said Azam Monem, director McLeod Russel India.

The Economic Times reported that Indian tea production in the first nine months of 2018 stands at 941.18 million kilos which is almost at par with last year’s production for the same period.

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According to the reports Monem said exports may fall flat this year on two grounds which are high production in Kenya and a temporary uncertainty created in the market after US imposed sanctions on Iran, a major orthodox tea market.

Stats by the Tea Board of India till September this year shows that India has exported 173.80 million kilos which is almost similar to what the country had exported in the first nine months of 2017.