Tea consumption dropped about 2 percent to 166,500 tons in 2010 from 170,000 tons a year earlier, and coffee consumption was little changed at between 112,000 and 114,000 tons, the Association of Tea and Coffee Packagers said.
Tea imports dropped to 176,000 tons in 2010 from 180,000 tons a year earlier. The domestic tea crop, centered in the Krasnodar region, accounts for less than 0.2 percent of domestic consumption.
Sri Lanka was the most popular source for imports, taking more than 29 percent of the market, followed by India with about 25 percent. China and Vietnam each had about 11 percent market share.
(Bloomberg)
