Importers to get a taste of southern tea
Come March, the finest teas of the South will be chosen by a seven-member international jury comprising prominent tea buyers from major importing countries.
By TNN |
BANGALORE: Come March, the finest teas of the South will be chosen by a seven-member international jury comprising prominent tea buyers from major importing countries. The final tasting session of the third annual edition of The Golden Leaf India Awards: Southern Tea Competition will be held in Kochi on March 21. The event is jointly organised by the Tea Board and the United Planters' Association of Southern India (Upasi).
The buyer-tasters will also be visiting some of the southern plantation districts. This concept of reverse-buyer visits has, says Upasi, been recommended by Union minister of state for commerce Jairam Ramesh. Logos for each tea-growing region of the South — each region supports a unique eco-system and possesses distinctive quality attributes — will be released on March 21, the idea being to prepare the ground for each region to be included in the GI (Geographical Indicator) list, a process being pursued by the Tea Board.
TGLIA: STC convener N Dharmaraj says the event is to sustain the peer-group competition among producers for excellence and to maintain world awareness of the quality of South Indian teas. The earlier two editions have, he adds, led to a substantial increase in export of quality South Indian teas.
The competition is open for black orthodox and CTC teas,organic orthodox and CTC teas. Under the orthodox and CTC category, there will be separate prizes for the leaf and fanning grades, which will be region-specific, besides a special category for the bought-leaf sector.
The regions include the Annamallais, High Ranges, Nilgiris, Travancore, Wayanad and areas like Karnataka,Nelliampathy, Singampatti, Quilon, Thiruvananthapuram and Kanyakumari.
For the organic orthodox and organic CTC, there will be separate prizes for leaf and fanning grades and the competition will be for the entire southern growers. Entries will be accepted till January 31 for tea manufactured till February 27. Samples will also be screened for pesticide residues.
The buyer-tasters will also be visiting some of the southern plantation districts. This concept of reverse-buyer visits has, says Upasi, been recommended by Union minister of state for commerce Jairam Ramesh. Logos for each tea-growing region of the South — each region supports a unique eco-system and possesses distinctive quality attributes — will be released on March 21, the idea being to prepare the ground for each region to be included in the GI (Geographical Indicator) list, a process being pursued by the Tea Board.
TGLIA: STC convener N Dharmaraj says the event is to sustain the peer-group competition among producers for excellence and to maintain world awareness of the quality of South Indian teas. The earlier two editions have, he adds, led to a substantial increase in export of quality South Indian teas.
The competition is open for black orthodox and CTC teas,organic orthodox and CTC teas. Under the orthodox and CTC category, there will be separate prizes for the leaf and fanning grades, which will be region-specific, besides a special category for the bought-leaf sector.
The regions include the Annamallais, High Ranges, Nilgiris, Travancore, Wayanad and areas like Karnataka,Nelliampathy, Singampatti, Quilon, Thiruvananthapuram and Kanyakumari.
For the organic orthodox and organic CTC, there will be separate prizes for leaf and fanning grades and the competition will be for the entire southern growers. Entries will be accepted till January 31 for tea manufactured till February 27. Samples will also be screened for pesticide residues.
Too busy to trade in stocks? Invest in Mutual Funds with ET Money!
Bookmark or read stories offline -
Download ET Markets APP
Download ET Markets APP
ADVERTISEMENT
