Global tea producers’ forum holds inaugural meeting in Colombo
View(s):Sri Lanka hosted for the first time the International Tea Producers’ Forum (ITPH) following a requirement to promote and develop areas of common interest among tea producing countries.
The Plantations Ministry together with the Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB) organised the event with the participation of six of the largest tea producing countries namely India, Kenya, Indonesia, Malawi, Rwanda and Sri Lanka, a release issued by the ministry stated adding that Iran, China and the FAO functioned as observers.
The need for a forum of this nature was brought to the fore back in the 1990s but it was realised after Sir Lanka took chair of the FAO/IGG on Tea and formed a dedicated association called the ITPF, the release said.
It was explained that the forum ratified the constitution of the ITPF through ministerial representations from the tea producing countries that constitute more than 80% of world tea production.
At the conference delegates signed a joint communiqué and Sri Lanka was selected as the Secretariat for the first ever ITPF.
The members decided to re-convene in Colombo by November this year to establish a General Council and an Executive Committee as per the constitution, it was pointed out.
At this meeting later this year, a Chairperson and two Vice Chairpersons would be elected to take forward the initiatives proposed by the ITPF, the release stated.
The conference was established with the mission of positioning tea as the “most preferred beverage universally” by stimulating its consumption and facilitating generic promotional campaigns to raise awareness for a healthy lifestyle, the release said.
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