LISTED agro-industrial concern, Ariston Holdings posted a 6 percent increase in tea production in 2021 on wetter and cooler weather conditions experienced during the period under review than during the same period in prior year.
Production volume recovered to 2,748 tonnes compared to 2,582 tonnes produced in the prior comparative period.
In its Annual report, the company said it however lost 300 tonnes of tea which was not harvested during the year owing to shortage of harvesting labour at its estates in Chipinge.
“Changes have since been made to production processes so as to mechanize some of the processes thereby leaving labour for harvesting. It is anticipated that labour shortage will persist for the foreseeable future in the areas where we operate,” the company said.
Export tea volumes declined by 27 percent which was alleviated by a 34 percent increase in local sales volume.
Export tea average selling prices declined by 8 percent due to subdued global economic activity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Current year average selling prices for local tea sales improved by 83.3 percent compared to prior year.
The diversified company also noted improved volumes in other crops with macadamia volumes growing 27 percent from prior year’s 1,063 tonnes to 1,292 tonnes in the current year.
Like, tea, macadamia average selling prices for exports also declined by 7.5 percent.
“While the average selling price for large nuts remained the same as in prior period, the price for the small nuts and lower quality nuts came under pressure, thereby weighing down average selling price,” the company said.
The fruit category’s production volumes of 2,729 tonnes for the current year improved by 17 percent from 3,195 tonnes produced in the prior comparative period and yields from the young orchards continue to improve.
The selling period for stone fruit coincided with the lockdown promulgated by Government in January 2021.
This had an adverse effect on fruit uptake in the market. Unfortunately, most of the export markets were also depressed due to COVID-19 lockdowns implemented in various countries. As a result, stone fruit sales volume suffered a 13% decline compared to the prior comparative period.
Pome fruit were unaffected. The category in total registered a 10 percent increase in average selling price when compared with the prior comparative period.
