Category: Agriculture

Sri Lankan tea production has swung into rapid recovery mode following a weak first quarter, to end at 181.8 mn kilos to date, up from 3.6 mn kilos the previous year. This follows a pick up in monthly production for each of the three months in the second quarter, which exceeded intakes for the same […]

Local factions in the tea industry say the Indian threat was looming for over a year, but officials here had made no effort to plan for competition. Sri Lankan orthodox teas sell at an attractive premium above CTC prices. In addition Sri Lanka dominates the orthodox market controlling well over 75 per cent of supply. […]

However, as always a faction continued on the lines that importation would kill the local plantations and wipe out most of the trade.On the contrary, if tea importation is allowed and with structured promotions exporters can effectively market tea from two nations. Sri Lanka is already the largest tea exporter, exporting around 20 per cent […]

Russian buyers favouring bulk tea over packed teas has been a leading factor in the drop.Commodity brokers say this is a disappointing tu of events and feel that Sri Lanka should move fast to capture and develop other value added markets.The Tea Board has identified Japan, the European Union and Austral Asia as potential value […]

The selection and appointment of a CEO for the Tea Association will be the first official step in forming the umbrella organisation proposed in the A.T. Keay study initiated by the private sector. Chairman of the Planters Association, Mahendra Amarasuriya said plans were to appoint the new CEO before the end of August. Industry officials […]

Russia continues to be one of Sri Lanka quote s top buyers, importing approximately 50 million kilos a year and also the biggest value added market.A number of Russian companies had proposed to increase the tax by as much as 60 per cent. The mover aims to support Russian companies manufacturing value added tea, which […]

The decision by the Joint Ministerial Committee earlier this month was prompted by a recent delay in clearing a shipment of tea to the continent.The decision requires flavoured tea exporters to obtain clearance for their flavours and methodologies from the National Food Laboratories Indian Prevention of Food Adulteration Act. Exporters obtaining the clearance will then […]

VAT, which comes into effect from July 1, is slapped on tea exports.But the tea trade is against the move as it pushes the weekly tea auction prices up. Under the existing tax system, exporters are not required to pay 12.5 percent GST on the weekly tea auctions.Instead, GST is refunded whenever the trade purchases […]

The Indian tea industry is pushing forward a campaign to position the traditional brew as a lifestyle drink.An initial investment of Indian Rs. 20 million is being pumped in by the private sector for the nationwide campaign.The lifestyle campaign will is expected to increase per capita consumption levels from 0.660 grams per annum to 0.730 […]

In a decision made earlier this year the Cairo and Istanbul offices were closed down in view of relocating them to potential growth markets. Tea Board officials say the EU and the Far East including Australia and New Zealand accounted for a small percentage of Sri Lankan tea exports.Director, Tea Promotion Bureau, Hasitha de Alwis […]

Existing regulations restrict the import of teas for blending and re-export and specialty teas including green tea and CTC teas. Processed tea imports, black or green, Orthodox or CTC, whether in bulk or packaged form can only be imported subject to a 25 percent tariff duty.The joint committee recommendations are for allowing orthodox tea imports […]

This follows attempts to clamp down on illegal smuggling that has plagued the country quote s legal tea trade with imports falling by 12 percent in the first quarter of this year. Volumes of smuggled tea as at the end of the fiscal year 2001-02 is expected to range between 25,000 to 40,000 tons as […]