Rs 7.3 million invested for 'Clean Tea' proposition:

Ready to drive global $ 50 b beverage market

In the backdrop of some revolutionary thinking by the Plantations Ministry where a ten million dollar promotional fund was orchestrated with the implementing partner being the Sri Lanka Tea board in 2010, yesterday, in a unique partnering gesture.

The Industries and Commerce Minister Rishard Bathiudeen supported the industry by investing Rs 7.3 million to drive to ensure that the Clean Tea proposition is consolidated with good agricultural practices by way of the minimum residue levels (MRL) of tea exported are within the limits specified to the sensitive markets of EU and Japan.

Sri Lanka Tea Exporters Association Chairman Jayantha Keragala, Sri Lanka Tea Board Director Hasitha de Alwis, Tea Research Institute Director Dr Abeysinghe, Industry and Commerce Ministry Tea Advisory Committee Chairman Rohantha Athukorala with Industry and Commerce Minister Rishard Bathiudeen

Minister Rishard Bathiudeen said that Sri Lanka needs to ensure that all products marketed globally are within the quality parameters expected by its targeted customers so that any Sri Lankan products will not be subject to any non-tariff barriers in any country around the world. In fact we need set the quality standards for a product such as tea which Sri Lanka dominates in the global market even though competition is entrenched," he said.

Sri Lanka tea achieved an all time record of 1.4 billion dollars in 2010 and we need to thank all the stakeholders who made this possible for Sri Lanka," said the Minister who is in charge of Sri Lanka exports for the country which will be investing almost 450 million rupees in its global marketing drive to ensure Sri Lanka achieve the twenty billion dollar export target by 2020.

The Sri Lanka Tea Exporters Association Chairman forecast that Sri Lanka will be able to beat the 1.4 billion dollar performance in 2011 given that tea prices at the auction in the first week of 2011 has been positive but cautioned on the adverse weather conditions and the looming wage discussions that are to take place later during the year.

The Sri Lanka Tea Research Institute Director Dr Sarath Abeysinghe ensured that with the field trials done on the 27 chemicals that Sri Lankan tea growers use the country can develop a new standard that the world must accept.

This reflects the respect that the world has on the quality standards of Ceylon tea. The Ceylon Tea Traders Association (CTTA) Chairman Avindra de Silva highlighted the new trend seen around the world where propositions like 'Rainforest Alliance' can further differentiate Ceylon tea in the Global market place to which Minister Badurdeen said, "We should work towards that aim after completing the Minimum Residual Level (MRL) standardisation.

The Industry and Commerce Ministry Tea Advisory Committee Chairman Rohantha Athukorala said that until the recent past tea was considered a commodity but now it is categorized in the very competitive and stringent quality standards expected as a beverage that is worth globally over 50 billion dollars with many value addition activity that many a Sri Lankan exporter has successfully entered already.

"The development of tea being classified as a beverage globally has led to the product being subject to the biological and physical food standards to ensure food safety of the global customer which is why this initiative is a key national project.

In fact with initiative it further consolidates our proposition of ozone friendly status that can drive a premium in the global market," said the Tea Research Board Director Hasitha de Alwis and thanked the Trade and Commerce Ministry for the continued support.

The Ministry Secretary Tilak Collure, Additional Secretary Hasitha Seneviratne and Rohan Perera were also present with the other senior officials of the Ministry, the Tea Board and the private sector.