Tea exports from India, the world's second biggest producer, fell 3.4 per cent from a year earlier to 186.7 million kg in 2011, the state-run Tea Board said in a statement late on Wednesday.

Softened demand for Indian leaf due to payments problems with sanctions-hit Iran and pro-democracy uprisings in the Middle East hit exports in the first half of 2011, exporters said.

However, production rose 2.26 per cent to a record high of 988.3 million kg in the last calendar year, the statement said, on good weather in northeast India, the main growing region.

India exports CTC (crush, tear, curl) tea variety mainly to Egypt, Pakistan and the United Kingdom, and the premium orthodox variety to Iraq, Iran and Russia.

Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com