Date:23/01/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/01/23/stories/2008012355360700.htm

Tamil Nadu

Market for tea booming in the United States

Special Correspondent

Glendale’s speciality tea retail pack for domestic market launched

Photo: D. Radhakrishnan

For the cups that cheer: The President, Tea Association of the USA Joseph P.Simrany (third right), launching the Glendale speciality teas for the domestic market near Coonoor on Tuesday. —

Udhagamandalam: The President, Tea Association of the United States of America Joseph P.Simrany said at Glendale near Coonoor on Tuesday that the market for tea was booming in the USA.

Launching the speciality tea retail pack of Glendale Estate for the domestic market, he said that Americans had started appreciating various aspects of tea.

Pointing out that over the years the market for the beverage had tripled, he said that the number of ‘tea rooms’ had gone up from 200 to 2,400.

Comfortable

Stating that Americans were “very comfortable with Indian tea”, he added that the reception for high quality teas was good.

Indian teas were known for their tradition and the passion with which they were made.

The Executive Director, Tea Board R.D.Nazeem said that retail packs would help the ongoing efforts to penetrate the United States and European markets.

He pointed out that a kilogram of Glendale tea had been sold for a record price of 600 dollars during the first ever US Tea Auction held in Las Vegas in 2006.

He added that the number of entries for this year’s Golden Leaf India Awards competition scheduled to be held at Dubai had registered a phenomenal increase.

He underscored the need to adhere to uniform pesticide norms. Efforts were on to get a Geographical Indicator for the Nilgiris Orthodox tea.

The Director, Glenworth Estate K.Gopal Krishnan said that Glendale Estate has been continuously striving to upgrade its production processes in order to achieve global standards in quality.

By April it would get HACCP certification. Shortly it would introduce ready-to-drink iced tea, flavoured tea and hot tea in collaboration with Shangri-la Tea Company of California. All its teas were vacuum packed for the market.

The first packets for the domestic market were received by Carol Simrany.

Among those present was the Director of Tea Promotion in London Ali R.Rizvi and the Managing Director, Indcoserve D.Karthikeyan.

The Manager, Glendale Estate, Vinod Shenoy, proposed a vote of thanks.