Ozone friendly Ceylon Tea in market now

Indunil HEWAGE

The Sri Lankan Government and Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB) and other tea industry stakeholders are on the look out to promote pure Ceylon tea features in the international market aggressively.

Sri Lanka Tea Board Chairman Susantha Rathnayake, Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen and Plantation Industries Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe with other officials at the launch of the Ozone Friendly Ceylon Tea logo and the area logos. Picture by Mahinda Vithanachchi.

Addressing a ceremony held to launch the Ozone friendly Ceylon Tea logo and Ceylon tea name along with agro climatic regional names and logos as certification marks under geographical indications, Plantation Industries Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said the country will work on improving the Rs 1.5 billion tea trade adhering to environmentally friendly manufacturing practices.

With a view to achieve set targets, SLTB has undertaken fruitful measures to promote and advertise special features in Ceylon tea with to achieve premium prices for tea. Accordingly, SLTB had put in a fund worth of Rs 650 million. The fund will be operational soon following Cabinet approval.

SLTB has put forward framework proposals pertaining to this matter and on the basis of the proposals, Cabinet approval will be granted and the fund will be driven by the private sector. In addition Government is working on ensuring price competitiveness of tea without compromising on quality of tea.

“Adapting the ozone friendly production practices in the tea industry would definitely enhance the image of the industry while creating immense marketing opportunities for us in the world market. Under the directive of Plantation industries Ministry, Tea Council has been appointed and the first meeting of the council is to be held next week,” Minister said.

Objective of the Tea Council is to take appropriate measures to promote Ceylon tea in various tea-consuming countries. Government maintains a cordial rapport between small tea holders, exporter and regional plantations companies to promote tea as a healthy beverage among tea lovers complying with environmental friendly manufacturing and compatible practices.