Tea Board of India on promotion drive of Indian tea

Guwahati, Sept 9 (UNI) With India's tea export fortunes soaring due to low productivity in Kenya this year, the Tea Board of India is planning to capture and capitalize on the upward trend in the long run.

The Board has already launched a promotion and popularization campaign to sell Indian tea to the world, Tea Board NE zonal office Executive Director Chandrajit Saikia said here today.

The Board has foreign offices at London, Moscow and Dubai and its officials and representatives from the country, including government officers and tea planters, regularly participate in international fairs and conventions to promote Indian tea.

Underlining the importance of domestic market for tea industry, Mr Saikia pointed that the domestic consumers were helping the industry to sustain even when exports have dipped due to emerging competitors.

Present world leaders in tea export, Kenya and Sri Lanka were heavily dependant on exports to sustain their tea industry, which can have an adverse effect if new competitors grab the scene, he added. Focusing on the domestic market was also a top priority with the Board,Mr Saikia said adding the Board is engaged in generic promotion of tea in a mega way.

The per capita consumption of tea in the country is 670 gm, which needs to be improved for ensuring a better domestic market he said.

He also stressed on the advantage that Indian tea industry would earn when Assam orthodox tea gets Geographical Indication (GI), which Darjeeling tea has already acquired.

Kenya recorded highest export last year with an estimated shipments of 345.88 million kg.

India was at the fourth position, behind Kenya, Sri Lanka and China, with the exports touching 179 million kg in the last calendar year.

India's tea export has, however, witnessed a steady clim this year, recording 19 per cent rise in the first seven months, owing mainly to Kenya's low production.

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