Assam banks on Kenyan turmoil to capture Egypt tea market

Guwahati, Mar 2 (UNI) Assam tea growers are eyeing the large market in Egypt, with the political turmoil in Kenya, which exported the maximum tea to Egypt, playing in favour of Assam, in particular, and India, in general.

Tea planters from the state, back from a recent business trip to Egypt and Israel, said here today that the Egypt tea market had huge potential for Assam tea export.

The tea industry representatives were members of a 12-member team that visited the two countries recently to explore possibilities of business tie-ups, look for opportunities for collaboration and cooperation, bilateral trade, economic cooperation, technology transfer and joint ventures.

The trip was an initiative of the Guwahati-based Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), under the Ministry of MSME, and led by IIE director Dr K Ahmed and head, Centre for Industrial Extension of IIE, Dr S B Baruah.

Mr Debojit Chaliha, who was part of the delegation, said Assam's CTC tea has a good market in Egypt, with the importers of that country also familiar with the unique strong and full-bodied flavour of Assam tea.

''In Egypt, the demand is mostly for CTC tea and quality is not a major concern. These points are encouraging for marketing Assam tea,'' he said.