Sri Lanka has regained the top position in 1999 from Kenya who in 1996 overtook Sri Lanka as the World's leading Tea exporter, John Keels Tea and Produce Brokers (JKTPB) revealed. Since the Kenyan production has declined by around 46 million kgs in 1999 Sri Lanka is likely to be the largest black tea exporter in the year just completed, JKTPB told The Island yesterday.

     Trade sources further revealed that Sri Lanka's tea production in 1999 was expected to cast back a record harvest and the country is likely to be the largest black tea exporter for the last year. They also told The Island that in November '99 Sri Lanka's tea production has increased from 10% and was 24,200,890 kgs in comparison to 21,931,343 kgs in November '98. Also the 258,445,641 kgs tea production in '99 compared to 254,974,583 kgs produced in '98 indicates that production has increased by 1%.

     According to JKTPB, '99 harvest was expected to be higher than the '98 figure of 280 million kgs. Also they added that better agricultural practices by privatised plantation companies together with a successful rainfall distribution had helped the good harvest todate.

     According to a report by Forbes and Walker Tea Brokers in The Island, tea exports too have increased from 1,441,731kgs in 1999 compared to its previous year. Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) still continues to be the largest tea importer from Sri Lanka, the report said. The CIS has also increased its imports from 4.4 million kgs in '99 compared to '98. The U.A.E, the second largest tea importer has also increased its imports from 5.1 million kgs against the previous years.

     Other significant countries that have increased tea imports from Sri Lanka are, Syria (17,842,788 kgs), U.K.(9,930,495 kgs), Iran (9,088,181 kgs), Iraq (7,576,670 kgs) and Tunisia (5,702,139 kgs).

     Imports such as from Turkey, Saudi Arabia, U.A.R. and Libya have declined compared to '98.

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