Sri Lanka’s deficit is still the highest in the world at approximately 39 million kilos. Slight catch-up improvement since last week. ( According to the Tea Board).

Bangladesh, nowhere near big tea producer names, yet a significant contributor to world production is the only producer country to register plus variance in production comparing Sri Lanka, Kenya, and India.

These results were gleaned from the weekly tea market report of M/s Eastern Brokers Ltd.,

Sri Lanka continues to register minus returns and is yet the biggest deficit holder in the world. According to Regional Plantation Company sources who incidentally produce only 35 % of the country’s production stock, their tea holdings have been seriously affected by drought conditions last year, telescoped into 2009 as well. The weather phenomenon reigned supreme in their reasons for failure.

The small holder segment dispersed through most parts of Southern and Central hills too have not fared well. Small holders, those who own small tracts of land producing what ever they could are now registered to be big producers of tea in the country. That too, not being major beneficiaries of most recent monetary aid influx.

Director Eastern Brokers Ltd., Mohan Jacobs said tea prospects are good, strictly from a marketing angle. Likelihood of minor market drop over the next couple of weeks might happen, but nothing to cause alarm bells. Winter and Christmas holidays might cause some regression; he was optimistic early January would continue to record good market conditions.

He said he did not wish to comment on the Plantations or their performances.

Asia Siyaka, Commodities (Pvt). Ltd. in their weekly market report said Cocoa, Coffee Arabica, and Tea have all shown good market progress incidental to commodity shortages world wide.

Chairman of the Company Anil Cooke, said tea exports to Germany have placed Sri Lanka second largest exporter realizing 17.68 % slightly ahead of last year.

The report further said Argentina is still the largest exporter of Tea to the USA.

Sri Lanka languishes somewhere at the bottom half of the table.

Health wise, there is now an interesting development for treatment of oral cancer.

Trials conducted have indicated positive curative results were observed that green tea drinking made inroads into prophylactic results that this commodity could cause curable results.

Major good price honours went to Glentilt and Brunswick selling their BOP grades at Rs 495. per kilo. In the Maskeliya basin. Court Lodge and lovers Leap in Nuwara Eliya fared equally well; also Ragala, Luckyland, and Kirklees in the Uda Pussellawa hills also had good price returns realizing over Rs. 450.per kilo.

This week too quantity to be auctioned would be about 6.9 million kilos.