Lanka should face global competition in tea - CIC Chairman

by Hiran H. Senewiratne

Sri Lanka should produce good quality tea to face future challenges with the emergence of new tea producers in the world, CIC Chairman B.R.L. Fernando said. "Vietnam is one of the emerging markets on tea, which targets to be the largest tea producer in the world by 2008," Fernando told at the Annual General Meeting of the Ex-Planters' Association recently. He said that we have to face global competition in the tea industry, which is our main forex exchange earner after the garment industry.

Smallholders will have window of opportunities in view of the situation. Fernando said that out of the total tea output, tea smallholders account for more than 60 per cent output in the country.

He said that large big estates could support the industry by bench marking with other countries, finding new markets and produce tea to the highest quality standards. He said one of the main problems encountered by the tea industry is the exodus of labour from the industry with the emergence of other employment opportunities in the country.

Fernando said that estate-housing problem is one of the major issues that need to be addressed immediately.

The tea estates, which cannot be resurrected, can be used to resolve the housing problem in the estate sector, he said. More than 85 per cent of the workforce in the plantation sector are females and male population are in decrease, he said. Elected President, Ex-Planters' Association G.A. de Livera called upon ex-planters to join hands to infuse new life to the Association.

He said there were a lot of young planters who had pre maturely retired and employed in other organisations who could join the Association.