A move is afoot to constitute International Tea Producers’ Forum with participation of tea producing countries. The move has been initiated by Mahindra Samarasinghe, Sri Lanka’s Minister for Plantation Industries.

A meeting is being held in Colombo next week to give a concrete shape to the forum the proposal for which was earlier discussed but with little headway so far, it is learnt. This time Sri Lanka is believed to be serious about formation of the forum at the earliest. A total of eight countries, representing more than 80 per cent of the global tea production, have so far given their consent on participation at the meeting. The countries are India, China, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Indonesia and Vietnam.

India is sending a 15-member delegation to Colombo. It will be led by D. Purandeswari, Union Minister of State for Commerce. Among other members are J.S. Deepak, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Commerce; Chairman of Tea Board, Chairman of Indian Tea Association, President of Upasi ( United Planters’ Association of South India),Chairman of Assam Tea Planters’ Association and Chairman of North East Tea Association.

The forum, when constituted, will focus on issues of common interests facing the tea producers all over the world such as production, quality, better price realisation, generic promotion of tea, health benefits of tea, exchange of information and collection and exchange of statistics and research.

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