New Delhi. Apr 23 (KNN) Indian tea industry representatives have expressed serious concerns about the rising imports of tea into the country during a stakeholder meeting at the Tea Board headquarters.

The meeting, held on Tuesday, was chaired by L Satya Srinivas Raju, special secretary of the commerce department and chairman of the Tea Board.

The Indian Tea Association (ITA) and Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers’ Associations (CISTA) called for government intervention to curb what they described as massive import and re-export of fake Indian tea.

ITA chairman Hemant Bangur specifically raised concerns about imports from African countries.

CISTA, which represents more than 300,000 small tea growers across 12 state federation bodies, highlighted the significant growth in tea imports last year, particularly from Kenya, Uganda, and Nepal.

According to Bijoy Gopal Chakraborty, President, CISTA, “A lion’s share of the imported tea is used in the domestic market while the rest is exported overseas in the name of Indian tea.”

The meeting also addressed other critical issues facing the industry, including the approval of certain agrochemicals to combat green fly infestations, price realization challenges, and the need for generic campaigns and branding initiatives for Indian tea.

Representatives from the Tea Association of India (TAI), Federation of All India Tea Traders Association, and Auction Association also attended the meeting.

They voiced concerns that small tea growers were not receiving fair prices for green leaf due to flaws in the current price determination system.

TAI Secretary General Prabir Kumar Bhattacharjee explained that the existing formula, which considers the average auction price from the previous month, does not represent a correct pricing for the green leaf and requires attention.

(KNN Bureau)