Lankan tea booms in Las Vegas

Record price of Rs. 7,150 per kilogram in US auction:

Ramani Kangaraarachchi

Ceylon specialty tea has achieved an unprecedented boost in USA following the promotional venture organised by the Sri Lanka Tea Board along with industry stakeholders at World Tea Expo Event in Las Vegas in June this year.

One of the winning teas namely Vithanakande tea from Sabaragamuwa was sold for a record price of US$70 (Rs 7150) at the auction in Las Vegas,USA.

Director, Tea Promotion, Hasitha De Alwis said consumer demand for specialty tea will increase at a rate of 5-6 per cent per annum and it is one of the growing sectors of the USA market.

He pointed out that the current pace of growth, tea sales in USA will certainly exceed US$ 10 billion US in three years time from current US$ 6 billion level. The exports of Ceylon Tea to USA is around 3,500 mt per annum generating a revenue of Rs 2 billion and the potential for future expansion is extremely promising.

Chairman Sri Lanka Tea Board Lalith Hettiarachchi said the promotional venture in USA is an ideal example of a successful public-private partnership and highlighted that green leaf suppliers are today being paid more than Rs 70 per kg by many factories when the green leaf only realised about Rs.30 per kg a few years back.

“It is a novel project to popularise straight line garden marks from Sri Lanka to the US end users.

This special promotion mainly targeting the tea houses, tea salons and tea rooms in USA will directly benefit the producers and the green leaf suppliers of Sri Lanka to fetch higher prices, he said.

Entries were called by the Sri Lanka Tea Board from tea manufacturers and factories for the Ceylon specialty Estate Tea of the Year in January where nearly 410 entries representing seven agro climatic regions and green tea sector were received. The final 48 entries were selected for the world event. The following selection of winners were conducted by Tea Professionals nominated by USA Tea Association.