Tea exports from India during April to September of 2012-13 fiscal dropped by 20% to 81.85 million kilograms (kg), according to The Tea Board of India.
India had exported 102.62 million kg of tea in the prior fiscal year period.
The decline is primarily due to 10% drop in outbound shipments of the brew from North India and 31% drop from South India, the state agency said.
North India shipped 47.64 million kg of the brew during the six month period compared to 53.21 million kg in the previous fiscal, whereas South India exported 34.21 million kg compared to 49.41 million kg during the same period.
In value term, however, exports during the period fell only 3.3% due to higher per kg realization.
India, the world's second-largest producer and the biggest consumer of tea, exports crush, tear, curl tea variety mainly to Egypt, Pakistan and the UK, and the premium orthodox variety to Iraq, Iran and Russia.
