Aiming for ‘ExclusiviTea’

Sri Lanka readies to host three mega international tea events in 2012

 

By Cheranka Mendis

 The local tea industry is set to start the year with a piping hot cup of tea with three international events lined up.

The Sri Lanka Tea Board and Colombo Tea Traders Association are geared to host the 20th session of Intergovernmental Group (IGG) on Tea of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Producer and Consumer Forum International Tea Committee and the International Tea Convention in the period between 29 January and 3 February.

Chairman, Tea Convention Organizing Committee Michael de Zoysa addressing the press conference yesterday from left Chairman, Tea Research Board Gerry Jayawardena, Secretary, Ministry of Plantation Industries Wimal Jayawardena,  Addl. Secretary, Ministry of Plantation Industries Upali Dissanayake, Secretary, Ministry of Plantation Industries Malini Peiris, Chairman, Sri Lanka Tea Board Susantha Ratnayake, Director General, Sri Lanka Tea Board H.D. Hemaratne, Chairman, Colombo Tea Traders Association (CTTA) Jayantha Keragala, Acting Director (Promotion), Sri Lanka Tea Board Upali Kahandawa – Pic by Daminda Harsha Perera

The events will help boost Sri Lanka’s image not only in the field of tea, but also in matters related to foreign affairs, tourism, foreign direct investments and exports.

20TH session of the IGG which is to be held from 30 January to 1 February will give enough mileage for the country, Sri Lankan Tea Board Acting Director Promotion Upali Kahandawa said. He was speaking at a press conference held to announce the launch of the events.

“IGG is a global forum that deliberate on issues connected with tea. This is a forum where important policies and strategies related to the global tea industry is formulated.”

The forum explores issues relating to production, marketing, pricing and consumption of tea.

The International Tea Committee (ITC) Producer/Consumer Members Forum precedes the IGG on Tea sessions on 29 January together with a half-day meeting on climate change to be held on the same day.

The International Tea Conference hosted under the theme of ‘ExclusiviTea’ will be held on three days starting 1 February. Tea producing countries are scheduled to meet on the sidelines of FAO/IGG to establish an International Tea Producers Forum (ITPF) on 1 February.

The events will attract a large number of participants both from Sri Lanka and abroad. Kahandawa stated that the FAO/IGG is expected to attract 125 high-ranking decision makers from all major tea producing countries. Participation for the said event is on an invitation only basis.

The International Tea Conference is estimated to draw over 200 foreign delegates as well as stakeholders in the tea industry in Sri Lanka, totalling over 500 participants.

The event will boost Sri Lanka’s status as a major tea producing country, rated as the highest foreign exchange earner from exports of tea. The current status as the only tea producer with the highest degree of standard compliance adhering to ISO 3720 standards could be further strengthened through an action plan under the Working Group on ‘tea trade and quality,’ Kahandawa said.

The occasion would also provide opportunity for joint consultation for harmonising Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) by all tea-consuming countries while facilitating the formation of uniform MRL standards for producing countries.

“We also hope to generate a medium term outlook for the tea economy,” he said. The initial demonstration will be made to test FAO World Tea Model using Sri Lankan data.

“There will also be development of appropriate long-term technologies for mitigation and or adaptation of climate change along with the implementation of International Tea Producers Forum to formulate strategies for common benefits of tea producing countries.”

Tea Convention Organising Committee Chairman Michael de Zoysa stated that this was not the first time Sri Lanka was hosting the International Tea Conference. Starting in 1967, the country has hosted eight other conferences up until the last hosted conference in 2007.

“Our conferences are known to be the best in term of attendance and substance. Varied issues will be discussed at the conference and companies that have achieved breakthrough in terms of marketing in the tea industry will reveal their success story and host presentations. At the previous conference the likes of Mlesna and Dilmah conducted presentations,” de Zoysa said.

Along with the conferences a gala dinner and a beach party will be hosted by the organisers for entertainment of the guests along with city tours, two to four day excursions and specialised tea tours which will also be organised. “We are not new at doing this. We are good at doing this,” he asserted.

Speaking on the benefits of previous conferences, he stated that more demand had been created through the conferences and earnings in dollar terms had almost doubled over the years. Certain producers have been able to brand their products and learn new trends and technological developments in the market to help local producers.