Sri Lankan tea managers welcome newly formed International Tea Producer’s Forum (ITPF)
View(s):Sri Lankan tea managers have welcomed the formation of the first ever International Tea Producer’s Forum (ITPF) and congratulated Minister of Plantation Industries, Mahinda Samarasinghe for his initiative and effort in pursuing this.
With an intergovernmental membership of seven of the world’s largest tea producing countries including India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Sri Lanka and China as an observer, ITPF will serve as a powerful new channel to tackle the challenges facing the global tea sector, through international cooperation.
The Secretariat will initially be based in Sri Lanka at the Sri Lanka Tea Board premises, according to a statement issued by the Planters’ Association (PA).
PA Chairman Lalith Obeyesekere said this was a landmark occasion and noted that Sri Lanka particularly looks to the forum to provide long term sustainability to the tea industry in maintaining price stability and quality standards, among the other objectives set out in the mandate.
“ITPF will enrich tea producing nations to promote sustainable expansion by engaging market-based principles. We look forward to practical contribution to the world tea economy for the betterment of all producers,” he said.
In addition to promoting the collective interests of tea producer countries, the forum will deliberate on common problems affecting producers, provide technical co-operation and share technology and expertise, promote the popularizing and positioning of tea as the most preferred beverage to increase consumption and to undertake market studies, research, surveys to assess consumer preference and disseminate such information to the benefit of all member countries.
Minister Samarasinghe, commenting on the new forum said that the absence of a specific global body to deliberate on matters significantly important to the global tea industry resulted in substantial setbacks in the sector.
Although realized by many and with efforts made as far back as 1993, it wasn’t until this week and with Sri Lanka being the current chair of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)/ Inter Governmental Group (IGG) that the formation of the ITPF became a reality, the statement added.
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