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Lanka seeks US assistance on tea exports to Middle East

By Channa Kasturisinghe

The Government has sought the assistance of the United States to solve problems in exporting tea to countries in the Middle East including Iraq. According to reliable sources the US Ambassador Ashely Wills had met the Plantation Industries Minister Lakshman Kiriella at the Ministry and discussed the possibility of the facilitating the process of shipping tea to the war-torn area and the United States purchasing tea from Sri Lanka. Due to the war, tea exports to Iraq which is the fourth largest buyer of Sri Lanka's tea has come to a standstill. Tea prices at the Colombo tea auction significantly declined and large stocks remained unsold. Sri Lanka last year exported 17.76 million kgs of tea to Iraq. Last November Sri Lanka received an order for Rs.10,000 million worth tea to Iraq under the Oil For Food program.

According to sources the Minister in his lengthy discussion with the US Ambassador had explained the present crisis of the Sri Lanka's tea industry and called upon the US Government to intervene to solve the crisis in every possible way.

It was also revealed that the Government of Sri Lanka is planning to donate a large amount of tea to Iraq as humanitarian aid. The shipment is to be sent to the country early next week. Sri Lanka's tea exports to Kuwait have also been affected by the war.

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