Sri Lankan authorities react to discovery of beetle in exported consignment

Dec 16, 2017 Nathasha De Alwis Local, News Ticker, Top Slider 0

Sri Lanka’s main tea exports are to Russia,with a revenue of 19 Billion rupees, generated during the past 09 months from exporting 25 Million kilogrammes of tea.

According to an announcement made by the Minister of Plantation Industries, Navin Dissanayake in relation to the Russia tea incident, all measures have being taken to remove the temporary restrictions imposed by Russia on Sri Lankan Tea.

Russia placed a temporary restriction on imports of all agricultural products from Sri Lanka, including tea, from Dec. 18, the Russian agricultural safety watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor said on Thursday, Dec 14.

According to the watchdog, it had taken the decision to impose restrictions after it found an insect, known as the Khapra beetle, in the packaging of one consignment of tea from Sri Lanka.

A delegation is to fly-off to Russia in due course to hold talks with the Russian Government on the matter.

According to the Sri Lanka Tea Board, another round of talks will take place on Monday, December 18 to remove the the temporary restrictions on Sri Lankan Tea.

The Russian Representative of the Sri Lanka Tea Board is to meet with the Russian agricultural safety watchdog.