Africa-Press – Malawi. Malawi’s tea production dropped sharply in the third quarter of the year, but the country earned more money from tea exports, according to new figures from the Reserve Bank of Malawi.
Tea output fell to 4.7 million kilogrammes, down from 13.4 million kilogrammes in the previous quarter. This represents one of the lowest production levels recorded in recent years. Production was also lower than the 5.5 million kilogrammes produced during the same period last year.
Despite this sharp fall in output, tea earnings increased to about K7 billion, up from K3.1 billion in the previous quarter. The increase in earnings was mainly due to higher volumes of tea sold, even though prices were slightly lower.
Tea prices dropped from about K1,195 per kilogramme in the previous quarter to around K1,838 per kilogramme during the quarter under review.
Industry experts say the drop in production follows Malawi’s usual seasonal pattern, where output is higher in the first quarter and declines in the second and third quarters before improving again in the fourth quarter. They also expect production to recover later in the year if weather conditions remain favourable.
Tea industry leaders say efforts are underway to improve productivity by supporting smallholder farmers, promoting dialogue between workers and companies, and introducing modern farming methods and better tea varieties.
Tea remains one of Malawi’s most important foreign exchange earners, contributing about eight percent of total foreign exchange earnings and 11 percent of national employment. The sector employs more than 60,000 people, both temporarily and permanently.
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