Hunt for new markets for Nepali tea begins

By Our Correspondent,Ilam, Apr. 25: Search for additional foreign markets for Nepali tea has started.  Dr. Bishnu Prasad Bhattarai, Executive Director of the National Tea and Coffee Development Board (NTCDB), said that the search for new potential markets for Nepali tea has started in countries such as Germany, Russia, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, China, Denmark, Norway, Canada, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the United States. Nepal has been exporting tea in a small amount to these countries and now intends to expand the amount and markets of the products there.  

"After Nepali tea won a gold medal in China, its influence has now reached worldwide. The signal is good, the price is good,'' Dr. Bhattarai said. 

The board is seeking the support of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies to register the trademark of Nepal tea in these countries. Nepali tea is being exported with a collective trademark of 'Nepal Tea' to some countries. 

"Till now, the trademark of Nepali tea has been registered only in India and America. 

The old market is closing, now we are preparing to enter a new potential market," Dr. Bhattarai said, adding that the upcoming National Tea Day will also help in this initiative. 

The government has been celebrating National Tea Day on Baisakh 15 (April 28 this year). This year too, a three-day programme has been scheduled as 'Tea Festival'. 

Executive Director Dr. Bhattarai informed that after the inauguration of the day on  April 28, a 'tea tasting' programme has been scheduled in Ilam.

General Secretary of Central Tea Cooperative Association Rabin Rai said that the tea testing work scheduled to be held in Ilam is important for the tea industry, tea cooperatives and farmers. 

"Foreign buyers come to Ilam for tea testing. They get to see the production of tea with their own eyes, from the tea plant to the packaging. 

Not only that, because the foreigners prefer to go to the tea plant and pick green leaves, the opportunity of organic tea produced by farmers is very important," he said. 

Tea tasting is an important part of tea sales. Foreigners will taste the flavour and aroma of drinkable tea brewed at a certain time and temperature. Private sector-friendly laws