Sri Lankan tea production fell 7.0 percent in May compared with a year, the Sri Lanka Tea Board said on Thursday, citing seasonal drought, but expected production to pick up again in the coming quarter.
Total tea output fell to 29.5 million kg against 31.7 million kg during May last year. However, output during the first five months of the year totalled 138 million kg, slightly ahead of the 137.2 million kg produced during January-May 2005.
"During the month of May, production went down due to seasonal effects such as drought and various other factors, but when you compare it with last year, it's normal," said HD Hearten, director general of the Sri Lanka Tea Board.
The Tea Board forecasts overall tea output will total more than 320 million kg during 2006, up from a record 317.4 million kg during 2005 which would be a new all-time output high. Sri Lanka produced around 308 million-kg of black tea in 2004.