Govt. seals prospects of blending teas

Lack of consensus on allowing blending of imported teas with Ceylon tea has forced a high-level committee appointed to study this issue to temporarily suspend the process.

Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB) Chairman Rohan Pethiyagoda who also heads the committee pointed out that there was no consensus among the committee members and as a result blending of foreign teas with local origin teas would continue to be disallowed in Sri Lanka.

The need for a policy on this issue arose as a result of numerous requests made to the Minister of Plantation Industries and the SLTB by the Tea Exporters’ Association, and specific requests by Ahmad Tea and Tetley expressing an interest in establishing bagging and packaging facilities within a Board of Investment Free Trade Zone environment in Sri Lanka.

He noted if Sri Lanka allows a blending hub then tea goes as a multi origin tea packed in Sri Lanka and in the mind of the consumer in foreign countries could in some way damage the Ceylon Tea brand,

The fear also arises if the people may think that importing tea from other origin to blend in Sri Lanka could eventually enter the country and if this could be sent to the auctions as Ceylon Tea, Mr. Pethiyagoda explained.

Despite the high profit margins that could be gained by exporters the fear of losing the quality standards set high by the Ceylon Tea brand has resulted in the state authorities refraining from taking a decision on allowing blending of foreign teas with local teas in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has placed restrictions only on the import of orthodox teas but has allowed exporters to import any other teas for bagging and re- exporting in value added tea.