Refused tea a money spinner
by Chanuka Mannapperuma
"It costs only Rs. 500 to make one kilogram of tea out of five
kilograms of refused tea. Five-hundred cups of tea costing only 50 cents
each could be made out of one kilogram. Tea can be consumed instead of
cool drinks.
There is 10% alcohol in tea-wine. That percentage is subject to
climatic changes in production," said Talawakelle Tea Research Institute
(TRI) Biochemist, Tissa Amarakoon at a discussion recently. Tea contains
sodium sans calories and sugar.
Tea is recommended as a drink for those whose calorie content has to
be controlled.
Research on food in America and Europe has showed that tea contains
the highest percentage of polypenol, Amarakoon said. Explaining the
value of tea production Plantation Minister D. M. Jayaratne said despite
the prejudice against refuse tea, several lakhs of people depend on for
their livelihood.
There are about 800 investors in the industry. If investors are keen
on investing in refused tea and its byproducts, the Ministry will
provide financial assistance from Rs. 50,000 to 100,000.
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