India's tea exports is estimated to have increased by 27 per cent in quantity and 35 per cent in value during the first five months of the current fiscal against the corresponding period last year, tea board sources said on Tuesday.

"Exports during April-August this year increased to 80.27 million kg from 63.05 million kg last year," they told PTI.

In terms of value, it increased from Rs 509.29 crore to 689.92 crore this year, they said. The increase in tea exports from India is in tune with the trend being witnessed since early this year. A good demand for Indian tea has been persisting mainly on production fall in leading exporting countries like Kenya, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

Tea exports from India have headed mainly to Russia, which began to buy consignments again after opting to import from Sri Lanka last year, the United Kingdom and West Asia.

Meanwhile, tea production, too, has overcome the initial setback witnessed at the year's beginning to post a 4.8 per cent rise during the January-August annual period.

India's tea production during January-August this year rose to 481.30 million kg against 462.43 million kg last year.

South India mainly contributed to the rise, increasing its production by 12.5 per cent to 129.15 million kg from 114.72 million kg, the tea board sources said.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.