The Dubai Tea Trading Centre (DTTC) has announced that it has recorded 62% jump in the first half of 2009, transacting 4.2 million kilos of tea compared to 2.6 million in the corresponding period of fiscal 2008.

The sources said that although DTTC's trade volumes witnessed favourable growth, the overall tea trade through Dubai witnessed a slump in the first five months of fiscal
2009.

This comes on the back of the worldwide decline in production, which has generally been affected due to drought and delayed rainfall in major tea-producing countries.

In line with the dip in global tea production, overall tea trade through Dubai plunged to 48.8 million kilos in the first five months in fiscal 2009, compared to 66.6 million kilos in the same period in 2008. The sources informed that Sri Lanka, India and Kenya remained Dubai's top trading partners, contributing over 65% of the total tea trade through Dubai.

From January to May 2009, the cumulative production of black tea in six major producing countries saw a dip of 14% or 87 million kilos, from 621 million kilos in 2008 to 534 million kilos during the same period in 2009.