Tea consumption highest in M'shtra: Tea Board

Kolkata, Jan 21: If you thought West Bengal and Asom, the principal tea growing states, have the highest consumption of tea, you are wrong. It is Maharashtra that has emerged as the highest tea consuming state, according to a study comissioned by the Tea Board.

According to the study, Maharashtra is closely followed by Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. But most of these states, including Maharashtra, UP and Rajasthan slid in the pecking order, when it came to per capita consumption of tea where Chandigarh, Lakshadweep, Punjab, Gujarat and Goa ranked the highest.

According to the study, Bengal and Asom ranked 9th and 14th in the share of total consumption. These states were among the lowest in per capita consumption, even below the coffee drinking states like Karnataka and Kerala.

The total tea consumed in India stands at 755.52 million kg, the per capita consumption of the beverage in India was at 706.1 grams, the study reveals.

Commissioned by the Tea Board, the study was collated and researched by the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, recently.

Maharashtra's share is at 14.86 per cent out of the total Indian tea consumption, followed by 10.35 per cent in UP.

Tea industry officials said that these markets have been strong markets, which have prompted formidable regional brands in Gujarat and Rajasthan and a host of strong national brands to compete the most in these markets.

But going by the per capita consumption of tea, Chandigarh has moved up to the highest position. Gujarat has been consistent both on the consumption and per capita consumption levels, the study said.

UNI