Tea hub in Sri Lanka only a proposal, say exporters
Tea exporters who succeeded in getting the tea hub status and blending of teas in Sri Lanka passed in two successive budgets say the proposal is yet to get implemented due to strong opposition from sections of the industry.
Government authorities have noted that they have not had any discussion on this subject. Plantation Ministry Secretary Upali Marasinghe told the Business Times that there is “no blending discussion” underway.
“We have done our best to get the setting up of the tea hub passed but due to objections by one or two parties it is not happening,” former Tea Exporters Association Chairman Rohan Fernando told the Business Times.
He noted that as a result exporters were going overseas and more are going to countries in Africa while others are looking at Dubai, Sharjah and India.
Protectionist policies of tea manufacturers have impeded the chances of establishing a tea hub in Sri Lanka, Mr. Fernando explained adding that today the quality of tea also has come down as a result of which exporters were compelled to clean it prior to selling them.
Heritage Teas Director Shiraj De Silva said that as a company they were for tea blending since the foreign buyer needs to have a product that could be sold in overseas markets at the right price.
Tea blending is happening in places that don’t grow a single tea bush like Dubai, he said but due to protests by tea smallholders and the plantation sector that this could erode the price for Ceylon Tea the proposed has been stalled. “Definitely we are going to keep pushing for this,” Mr. De Silva said.