The Hindu Business Line : Indian tea promotion centre in Cairo soon

Kochi, Dec. 16 The re-establishment of the Indian Tea Promotion Centre in the Egyptian Capital, Cairo, would become a reality very soon, as the United Planters Association of South India (Upasi) has already sent a proposal late last week to theTea Board for setting up the centre following the Union Commerce Ministry’s offer to provide the initial investment.

The Tea Board will forward the proposal to the Union Commerce Ministry with its recommendations. The ministry has already agreed to meet the initial expenditure now estimated at around Rs 50 lakh, Mr Ullas Menon, Secretary General, Upasi, told Business Line. He said the industry would run the establishment after its inception.

“Already an Egyptian expert has been selected as a consultant. He will get the orders for supply from India. Interested exporters would supply samples. The centre would have facilities for tea tasting and blending etc”, he said.

Besides, two Egyptian government controlled companies, viz., Misr Import and Export Company and Al Nasr Export and Import Company, would be handling the imports of tea and other commodities from India. The former, which has offered a place for setting up the centre besides providing all the infrastructures required for handling export of teas from south India. It has been almost finalised, he said.

DELEGATION VISIT

To cement the tea trade relations further, a 9-member delegation led by Mr Said El hefny, Vice-Chairman, General Authority of Supply Commodities (GASC) in Egyptian government under Trade and Industry, would arrive in India on December 19, he said. The members of the delegation jointly control over 50 per cent of the 90 million kg (mkg) Egyptian market, he said. The delegation would hold discussions with the traders, exporters, planters etc apart from visiting factories. This might culminate in many of them placing some orders, he said.

The exporters should strictly ensure quality of the material and there should not be any difference between the samples given and the final consignments shipped out, he said adding a meeting of the buyers and exporters would also be held during the delegation’s visit to finalise the modalities of the Centre in Cairo.