MUMBAI: India’s June tea production fell 17.4% from a year earlier to 141.31 million kilograms (kg), the state-run Tea Board said, as floods and pest attack dented output in the main producing region.

Heavy June rainfall flooded tea gardens in Assam, which accounts for more than half the country’s production, making tea plucking difficult for workers. That sent production down 19% year on year to 74.35 million kg.

Tea plucking in India, the world’s second-biggest tea producer, usually accelerates from June to October.

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In the first half of 2022 India’s tea production fell 20% from a year earlier to 360.19 million kg, Tea Board data shows.

Lower tea production in June lifted average tea prices in July to 194.49 rupees ($2.44) per kg, up 10.5% year on year, according to the Tea Board.

The country exports CTC (crush-tear-curl) grade mainly to Egypt and the United Kingdom, with the orthodox variety shipped to Iraq, Iran and Russia.

The CTC tea is produced using a maceration device while the orthodox tea is produced using traditional method of withering, rolling, oxidation and drying.