The Hindu Business Line : Major tea producing nations not to increase area under cultivation

Kolkata, May 21 The major tea producing countries, at a meeting in Hungzhou, China, last week, decided not to increase the existing total area under tea cultivation.

Conceding that the current demand-supply gap in tea might widen in the coming years, major tea producers were almost unanimous in their view that the increased production of tea to meet the projected rise in demand should come from higher yield per hectare through improved productivity to be achieved through consolidation of holdings, improved techniques of production and other measures.

Currently, the total area under stable yielding tea plantation is estimated at 2.5 million hectares, more than 80 per cent of which is in Asia and less than 10 per cent in Africa.

The Hungzhou meeting was the 18th session of the inter-governmental group on tea under the aegis of the FAO.

The 16-member Indian delegation, comprising Government officials and the representatives of the tea industry and the tea research association, was headed by Mr Basudeb Banerjee, Chairman of the Tea Board.

The world tea production by 2017, according to FAO, will rise to 3,141 million kg from the present around 2,565 million kg, thus posting a compounded average growth rate of 2.8 per cent annually.

During the same period, tea production in Africa, covering countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Tanzania and Rwanda, would post a CAGR of 2.5 per cent to achieve a production of 532 million kg, from the present around 480 million kg.

Although India’s production is projected to rise to 1,175 million kg, posting a growth of two per cent annually, the real picture may be different.

Much will depend on the success of the Special Purpose Tea Fund scheme aimed at rejuvenation and replantation of old bushes.

In the initial years, the growth will be low only to rise substantially in the later period.

Boosting demand

The meeting also examined the scope of an internationally coordinated action for boosting the demand for tea. While each country would pursue its own policy in this regard depending on the level of per capita consumption, level of tea penetration and the population density, it was also felt that some sort of FAO-supported and WHO-approved initiative might also be considered in this regard.

The challenges posed by the changing climatic condition to the use of pesticides in tea were also highlighted.

The issue of MRL (maximum residue limit) in respect of use of chemicals in tea production generated a good deal of heat, it is learnt.

The Tea Board Chairman strongly differed with the view held by the representatives of some of the developed nations, mostly tea buyers, that the standards followed in this regard in India left much to be desired. With a population of more than one billion, India was also a major tea drinking nation and it would be foolish to presume that the Indian tea producers would conform to such standards as would be harmful to its own people.

The suggestions for MRL harmonisation and infusion-based MRL, mooted by major tea producers, had the backing of the US. The need for financial support for collection of data and coordination of MRL was also emphasised.

It was suggested that efforts should be made to involve stakeholders such as Codex Alimentarius, European Commission and other standard setting bodies to reach a consensus and the European nations should be more proactive rather than reactive in the matter.

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