TEHRAN - Managing Director of Iran's Tea Organization Mohammad-Ali Najafi said on Wednesday that the country's annual tea consumption stands at about 100,000 tons with the per capita consumption ranging between 1.25 kg and 1.35 kgs. Najafi, addressing the Gilan Province Agricultural Council, put the country's tea output at more than 72,000 tons, IRNA reported. He said that giant strides have been taken so far to make the country self-sufficient in tea production.

He referred to improvement of tea gardens and increase in tea cultivation per hectare using advanced farming technics and irrigation under pressure system. He expressed hope that the country would manage to meet its domestic tea needs and earn up to three dollars for export of each kilogram of tea. Najafi said that samples of Iranian tea have been sent to the European and Asian countries and they have welcomed the Iranian tea.

He concluded that about 72,000 tons of tea were obtained from 320,000 tons of green leaves, havested from 32,000 hectares of tea gardens last year.