The Tea Board is planning to hold a conference to discuss the roadmap for increasing exports and domestic consumption, and improving Indian tea quality. A 12-point agenda has been drawn up for the conclave, according to Tea Board sources.
The meeting will discuss ways to enhance the quality of Indian tea, restrict marketing of low quality products, and the steps needed to be taken to bring good tea to the market.
Organic tea manufacture
The Tea Board wants the industry to take steps to increase manufacture of more organic tea.
It is also calling for a paradigm shift to move the industry from bulk tea production to value-added tea, while exploring ways to increase sales, export and marketing of good quality tea.
The Union Commerce Ministry is keen that India brands its speciality tea well, and the meeting will discuss the manner in which the Tea Board could support such an initiative.
It will also try to gauge the support expected by the industry at the farm and manufacturing levels.
A significant agenda of the meeting would be discussing steps needed to manufacture tea compliant with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regulations and well in conformity with international standards.
Industry sources welcomed the initiative saying that this would pave the way for drawing the contours of the industry through a broad-based consultative process.
Large and small tea growers, as well as tea traders are likely to participate in the symposium due to be held here later this month.
Indian Tea Association chairman Vivek Goenka felt that the initiative should provide a good forum for discussing disruptive ideas.