In Middle East:

Ceylon Tea campaign to kick off shortly

Sri Lanka expects to enhance tea export revenue from current US$ 1.5 billion to US$ 2 billion within two years of the launch of the global Ceylon Tea campaign shortly.

Plantation Industries Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said, the Ceylon Tea Global Promotion Campaign in the Middle East will be kicked off in UAE during the Sri Lanka-Pakistan cricket series by end of this year, outlining future plans, at a meeting of key members of the Dubai Tea Trade.

The Minister had a meeting with them at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Dubai to discuss strategies to increase Sri Lanka tea exports to Dubai - UAE, the main tea trading hub in the Middle East, a Ministry spokesperson said.

Sri Lanka used to export more than 30 million kilos of Ceylon Tea to Dubai mainly for reexports but the volume came down significantly during the last two years due to the impact of global financial crisis and international sanctions on Iran.

More than 50% of tea re-exported from Dubai reach Iran and Ceylon Tea is the most sought after tea by the Iranian trader members.

A key player in the global tea industry, Dubai imports over 70 million kilos of tea annually for both domestic use and re-exports.

During the discussion, the trade members appreciated the quality assurance methods adopted by the Sri Lanka Tea Board to ensure the quality and standard of Ceylon Tea that has kept Sri Lanka tea most popular in the region. Out of about 300 million kilos of annual Sri Lanka tea exports, 52% reach Middle Eastern markets. The Sri Lankan orthodox leaf teas are said to be the most preferred tea in the region.

The Ceylon Tea Global Promotion Campaign was initiated by the Minister during the latter part of 2010.

In response to a query raised by a trade member on the comparatively high price of Ceylon Tea, the Minister explained that all teas produced in Sri Lanka could be categorised as fair and ethically manufactured and Sri Lanka is the only tea producing country to receive 'Ozone Friendly Tea' accolade from Montreal Protocol in Canada.

Additional Secretary Wimal Jayawardene, Chairman, TRI Dr. Gerry Jayawardene, and Director (Promotion), Tea Board Hasitha de Alwis also took part in the discussions.