Kathmandu: Nepalese tea producers have announced an indefinite suspension of production from Thursday after India introduced stricter quality checks on imported tea to ensure compliance with domestic quality standards.
Last week, the Tea Board of India said it has introduced stricter quality checks to ensure that imported tea meets Indian standards.
We have started 100 per cent checking of all tea entering India, including from Nepal, Tea Board of India Deputy Chairman C Murugan said, adding that this is being done to protect consumers and maintain quality standards for tea imported for domestic consumption as well as for blending and re-export.
India is the major market for tea produced in Nepal.
Nepalese tea producers, mainly those located in Ilam district of Koshi province, announced the suspension of their production from Thursday for an indefinite period.
In a statement, the Nepalese Tea Producers’ Association said that the Himalayan nation’s tea producers are facing problems exporting tea after the Indian Tea Board introduced the new regulation.
The association’s general secretary Shukra Dahal said in a press meet Wednesday that tea amounting to around Rs 5 billion is exported to India annually, and urged the government to take initiatives to export Nepalese tea to Bangladesh and Pakistan as alternative markets for their products.
Speaking in parliament Wednesday, Minister for Agriculture, Forest and Environment Gita Chaudhary said that the government is taking technical and diplomatic initiatives to address the current problem facing the tea exporters.
Responding to questions by lawmakers, Chaudhary said that the efforts are heading towards a positive direction.
