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Magazines Archives - 2007 September
India ups the ante in tea production
Story 6
INDIA has launched a Rs48-billion (US$1.2-billion) package to boost its tea quality and production while improving produce prices in the face of intense competition from neighbouring rival countries.
Indian Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh said in the local media earlier this month: The new tea strategy now is to chase both [export] volume and value. Were getting positive results and 2007 is turning out to be agood year for tea.
The countrys tea industry ranks No. 2 in terms of production volume, growing a record crop of 955 million kg in 2006.
However, as a result of inferior teas being produced in countries such as Vietnam, Bangladesh and Iran, the prices of tea have dropped since the 1990s.
Optimistic that the initiative will achieve the results the nation is aiming for, Dhiraj Kakaty, secretary of the Assam Chapter of the Indian Tea Association, said: The overall mood is vibrant, with the Indian tea industry beginning to look up and overseas demand on the increase, mainly due to the very good-quality tea [India] produces.
In the past year, exports have increased to 200 million kg, which is about eight million kg more than in 2005. These are good indicators and were sure prices will firm and exports increase, said Ramesh.
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