Plan to increase consumption of tea

PRASHANT ACHARYA, EOI, SILIGURI. JANUARY 19, 2023:  The Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) organized the Eighth India Tea Forum (ITF) in Siliguri on Wednesday. ITF,

About 350 planters, brokers, auction houses, exporters, machinery manufacturers and service providers the biennial tea networking event supported by the West Bengal Government..

Speaking at the occasion, British Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata Nick Low referred to the passion of his countrymen in drinking tea over the years. He also emphasized upon the strong bondage the two countries had from the past due to bilateral exchange of products and services. He also shared his thoughts on augmentation of tea consumption in India and abroad.

Deputy High Commissioner, Bangladesh in Kolkata Andalib Elias said: “When we talk about sustainability, we talk about responsibility,” responsibility of sustainability of the Indian tea gardens. This forum has been a platform for discussions on various valuable inputs by the panel for the development and sustenance of the industry.” The Consul General of Nepal in Kolkata Eshor Raj Poudel emphasized on the need for collaboration between the tea fraternities of both the countries for mutual benefits. 

Chairman, India Tea Forum, Ravi Agarwal, focused on the theme: “One More Cup ‘Ek Pyali Aur Ho Jaye”.

In other words, the initiative mainly centered upon balancing the demand and supply of tea by increasing its consumption, he said. 

He further emphasized on the promotion of the health benefits of drinking tea amongst the youngsters. The increment in consumption through a robust distribution network can give a boost to production and the volume of exports, he said.

Chairman, Federation of All India Tea Traders Associations, Sanjay Shah spoke about the nutritional benefits of tea. He said a substantial support was needed for this information to reach the masses. He also encouraged brands which experimented with tea as this would surely act as a catalyst for a boom in the tea industry. 

Chairman, CII North Bengal Zonal Council, Pradeep Purohit, suggested that new technological tools and services be introduced to make the industry more vibrant and competitive in the global market. The quality of tea produced in this part of the country had been rated to be the best in class, he said. 

There were multiple interactions happened between tea garden owners and the buyers participated from across the country in this edition of the ITF. The North Bengal Tea Fraternity was upbeat on the takeaways from the ITF