Last Updated :
26 February 2010 at 12:45 IST
Kenya overtakes Sri Lanka as top tea exporter
NAIROBI (Commodity Online) : Kenya, one of the world’s top tea producers, said it has overtaken Sri Lanka as world’s top tea exporter.
According to Tea Board of Kenya, the country exported 342 million kilogrammes to 47 world markets, accounting for 22 per cent of the world tea exports last year.
Kenya has about 50 tea varieties suitable to the seven growing regions.
In a statement, the Board said, "We did dislodge Sri Lanka as the leading tea exporter last year and hope we will continue maintaining the same position”.
Out of the 40 per cent of all global tea bags used in making the popular beverage, at least 10 per cent of its content is Kenyan, it added.
It said, Sri Lanka, formerly number one tea exporter, sold 280 million kilogrammes, representing a shortfall of 29 million.
The Board said the news is a boost to Kenya and the tea sector in particular, which has in the recent past suffered from vagaries of weather and low export earnings due to a glut in the international market.
Analysts attributed the success to the efforts made in research and development.
Due to its importance as a major foreign exchange earner, about 150,000 hectares of land in the country are currently under the crop yielding an average of 10,977 kg of green leaf per hectare.
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