The Hindu Business Line : Call to focus on orthodox tea production

If India must compete effectively in the world market, there is a definite need to strengthen the orthodox tea production and recapture the lost markets, according to tea exporters.

Orthodox tea production has slipped from 52 per cent of the total tea production in the early 80s to about 15 per cent last year.

To increase production, the Tea Board started extending incentives to orthodox tea producers and this has helped production pick up.

Tea Tasting

However, to advise producers on the kinds of teas that markets such as Syria, Australia and the CIS are looking for, exporters organised a `mystique tea tasting' session on Thursday night.

Seven batches of teas (10 in each batch) were showcased and compared with the teas produced by Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Vietnam, which have since captured the Indian market on the export front.

Market sources said the South India high grown orthodox teas match in quality and appearance the teas produced by competing countries but the medium and low-grown teas could not be compared.

Incidentally, the low and medium-grown teas go to Russia. Currently, Sri Lanka produces and exports these teas, which account for 50-60 per cent of its tea exports.

Exporters said the production cost of these teas is lower by Rs 5-10 in India compared to Sri Lanka and there is potential to recapture lost markets.

However, customisation of teas to suit specific markets is equally important, they added.

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