Errant tea factory owners:

Licenses to be revoked

If tea is not up to the mark:

Irangika RANGE

Tea license issued by the Sri Lanka Tea Board for tea factory owners will be revoked if they do not produce at least 60 percent of quality tea in their factories, said Plantation Industries Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe.

Minister Samarasinghe addressing the seminar organized by the Plantation Industries Ministry for tea factory owners in Ratnapura recently said that he received a number of complaints from several foreign countries regarding the poor quality of tea exported by some local tea companies.

"We have found that several tea companies had exported tea containing foreign matter such as stones, iron materials, pins and coins. This has resulted in tarnishing the reputation earned by Sri Lanka as a producer and exporter of high quality tea," the Minister said. Some foreign countries who purchase tea from us had cancelled their orders due to low quality of tea as well.

Therefore, it is necessary factory owners to follow a quality control system and quality inspection from the central to grass roots levels in their factories," he said. They must also show standard certificates of their equipment, workshops, industrial hygiene, and tea growing areas proving capacity to supply at least 60 percent of quality tea in their factories.

These compulsory conditions for tea business is one of many measures proposed by the Plantation Industries Ministry to improve the quality of Sri Lankan tea suitable for the requirements of the international market.

"We will conduct regular seminars across the country to make aware islandwide tea factory owners on how to maintain high quality standards in their tea productions focusing the export market," he said.

Those factories which have low-quality materials areas have to upgrade and modernize their material areas to meet the standards set internationally.

"We must have guidelines to protect the industry as Sri Lankan Tea is the only commodity in which Sri Lanka has managed to earn a brand name internationally," he said.

Over the years Sri Lanka has earned a reputation as a producer of high quality tea and Ceylon Tea is synonymous with quality and taste. Therefore, it is necessary the commitment of all stakeholders in the industry to sustain its leadership in the world orthodox tea market and also in the value added tea export sector. This commitment should be continued, he added.