Kolkata, Nov 30 (IANS): India's tea exports grew by over 6.5 per cent to 189.68 million kgs during the January to October period of the current year as compared to 178 million kgs exported in the corresponding period of 2016.

According to provisional data of the Tea Board India, tea exports, in value terms, stood at Rs 3,724.34 crore during the January-October period of 2017, up by about 4.8 per cent from Rs 3,553.19 crore in the same period last year.

In volume, tea exports to CIS countries, including Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and others, were at 50.61 million kgs in the first 10 months of the current calendar year, down from 51.21 million kgs in the same period last year.

Exports to the UK also fell to 11.20 million kgs in the January-October period in 2017 as against 13.09 million kgs in the year-ago period while exports at 8.08 million kgs in Germany in the period under review were also down marginally from 8.76 million kgs exported in the same period last year.

However, tea exports to Iran were up to 20.98 million kgs in January-October of 2017, from 18.67 million kgs in the year-ago period.

As much as 7.54 million kgs of tea was shipped out to Egypt during the 10 months of 2017, up from three million kgs in the year-ago period.

Tea exports to Pakistan stood at 10.39 million kgs in the period under review, as against 9.97 million kgs exported in the year-ago period.

India's tea production, in October only, increased year-on-year by 17.31 per cent to 177.32 million kgs as against 151.15 million kgs in the year-ago month.

In the last month, north India's production including West Bengal and Assam was at 156.36 million kgs, up by 17.66 per cent from 132.89 million kgs in the same month last year.

South India's tea production in October this year grew by 14.79 per cent to 20.96 million kgs.