Indonesian Tea Export Plagued by Drought and High Anthraquinone Level
Due to the El Nino-inflicted drought that has plagued Indonesia in 2015 (curtailing output o agricultural commodities, the country's tea exports are expected to plunge by 40 percent year-on-year (y/y) to about 48,000 tons this year. The El Nino in 2015 is one of the strongest on record. This weather phenomenon, which occurs once every five years on average, involves periodical warm ocean water temperatures off the western coast of South America that can cause climatic changes across the Pacific Ocean, leading to severe droughts in key agricultural-producing countries in Southeast Asia.