Date:21/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/21/stories/2008122158830300.htm

Kerala - Kochi

Pesticide residue laboratory for city

Special Correspondent

KOCHI: Union Minister of State for Commerce and Power, Jairam Ramesh, said a pesticide residue testing centre for tea will be set up in Kochi. Addressing reporters after launching the e-auction of tea here on Saturday, he said 50 per cent of the exported tea came from South India and a laboratory in Kochi would help speed up the export process. The Union government expected that suitable land would be handed over for taking up construction of the laboratory costing Rs.3 crore.

The minister said Kochi would be the venue for the India International Tea festival to be held from February 19 to 21 next year. The event, the second in the series, will be organised in association with the Tourism Department.

The minister also disclosed that a Tea Promotion Centre would be set up in Cairo. Egypt is an important export market for India. The exports to Egypt had drastically fallen from 18 million kg a few years ago to 1 million kg. The exports during the current year is expected to be 15-20 million kg.

There is substantial breakthrough in respect of exports to Iran. A delegation of Tea Board will visit that country soon. The country expects an export of 15-20 million kg to Iran too.

Similarly, the exports to Iraq had come down from 45 million kg to 2-3 million kg last year. The exports to that country would be around 20 million kg this year.

The annual tea exports from India were about 185 million kg and it was expected to go up to 200 million kg during 2008-09, he said.