Tea is our pride
Sarath Wijesinghe
Tea is our pride, for which we can be proud of for the reason that it
is the best tea on the globe. It is the duty of every Sri Lankan,
especially the diplomatic missions worldwide to defend and promote our
silver inherited as much as the beauty of Sri Lanka which is no match to
other.
Sri Lanka tea is unique due to unique flavour, colour and character
which cannot be readily found elsewhere. The humidity, cool temperature,
sunshine and rainfall (two monsoons) in the country’s Central and
Southern highlands are conducive to the manufacture of unique quality
teas. Tea plantations are scenic and pristine. Tea is grown handpicked
and processed in an artisanal process, unchanged over a century. Where
else in the world one could find this combination in one island.
Tea is the most consumed drink of the mankind next to water. It is
very healthy harmless and a natural drink which is consumed as a social
drink which bonds families countries including Sri Lanka (once Ceylon)
which has now lost the position as the main exporter to the world. Tea
grown area is limited due to shortage of land, and the cost of
production has become unbearable mainly due to the shortage and high
wages of labour and maintenance.
Tourist industry
Estate owners do not invest on replanting and new plantations due to
excessive expenditure and the length of period for a return, though once
the tea is properly grown the benefit will extend to few decades. But in
an era citizens are looking for quick and large margins on profits,
traditional investors on cultivation are rare. This is a sad and
disturbing situation. It is time the local investors and tea estate
owners are encouraged for re-plantation and/or use tea estates for tea
tourism for which the environment is ideal due to landscape and beauty
in addition to the availability.
Tourists, especially those from Middle East are full of praise and
love for tea estates for beauty, calm environment and greenery coupled
with sceneries. It is time the Tourist Board and the Tea Board engage in
an exploratory expedition on this area to benefit the tourist industry
as well as tea industry and both industries in return will be boosted
with unexpected publicity for both areas.
It is a sorry affair that people have got used to unhealthy fast food
and beverages with strong chemicals and poisonous materials. However the
concerns are raised and advice given to discourage unhealthy breweries
and encourage healthy and natural drinks, the billions spend on
advertisements and attractions have overtaken the campaigners for
natural drinks which are healthy, cheap and readily available. Sadly in
Sri Lankan coffee with lot of sugar is available in parties and officers
increasing diabetic population when tea is freely available in every
corner.
Multinational companies
A young coconut is only 30 rupees where as artificial beverage with
lot of sugar and chemicals will cost over 50 rupees, which passes
billion of rupees to multinational companies. Ironically average
youngster and even an adult will go for the unhealthy artificial
beverage in place of a natural young coconut or a healthy cup of tea.
India is far above us. They have banned artificial beverages and
multinational companies from the Indian soil.
Tea is marketed and popular in Russia. The most important foreign
markets for Sri Lankan tea are the former Soviet bloc countries of the
CIS, The United Arab Emirates, Russia, Syria, Turkey, Iran, the United
Kingdom, Egypt, Libya and Japan. The political situation in some
countries has a direct effect on Ceylon Tea and it is time for us to
look for alternatives until the situation in the Middle East settles.
Arab world and West considers Tea as a healthy smooth traditional social
drink.
The consumption patterns has changed due to fast life by adopting
quicker methods such as tea bags instead of traditional pot of tea, or
naturally made tea traditionally for quiet and smooth enjoyment. Still
tea is synonymous with Ceylon with the brand and the trade mark for pure
original and quality tea. Awareness and demand for Ceylon Tea among
consumers in the Gulf Market is high. Loose tea consumption has
dominated over consumption of tea bags. Consumers are gradually weaned
away from loose quality tea due to aggressive media campaigns and fast
life of consumers.
Business hub
Multinational brands increase their market share through heavy
media/promotional spend and sophisticated packaging, despite using
inferior 'multi-origin teas' The brand becomes more significant than the
origin. This trend is seen in former Ceylon strongholds such as Russia
and former Soviet Republics.
It is time we look for new avenues to sell out tea with least effort
as it is not difficult to find markets for quality consumer items with a
worldwide love and reputation. It is useful to adopt a market strategy
to sell our pride and silver to our friends who love the warmath of the
people of this beautiful country. Best is to use UAE which is a country
so close to our hearts and minds as a vehicle for our tea which is
already a platform in this strategic location and diversified terrains.
Positioned in the heart of the old world, UAE is the ideal access point
to the three continents as a vital transit point between the East and
the West.
Dubai is the business hub in the Middle East and UAE is the shining
jewel on trade and tourism with 7.9 million visitors in 2010, and the
world’s largest shopping mall - the Dubai Mall. With the world’s tallest
building, one of the top destination cities in the world, world’s
largest man made harbour and world’s largest manmade island this is the
best and most friendly and accessible destination to promote our tea and
use it as a platform to all other destinations including the West. Dubai
is a business hub for tea trade as well. Our pride is devaluated and the
trade mark is exploited by our competitors in tea trade.
An aggressive and consorted effort is urgently needed to counter
dilution and promotes our pride and silver. To meet this demand the Sri
Lankan Embassy in the UAE has initiated a dialogue/discussion with the
Sri Lankan (TEA) business community in UAE and Sri Lanka with the
participation of the chairperson of the Tea Board and all interested
parties in UAE or GCC, on September 26, 2012 to explore the means of
promoting Sri Lankan tea in order to maintain the 'Brand and the
Quality' which is maintained for centuries.
Those who wish to take part at the seminar/workshop may communicate
with Sri Lankan Embassy in UAE on 0097126316444/
0097126315252/
05525038
88/0557396689/
0553054991/or email [email protected] Web - Sri
lankaembassyuae.com
The writer is the ambassador to United Arab emirates [email protected] |
