25 million kg tea import likely from India

Tea imports from India may touch 25 million kilograms this year from the 10 million kilograms imported during 2005 as the visiting Pakistani importers were evincing interests in finalising more import deals with India.
The 12-member delegation of Pakistani importers led by Tea Association chairman Muhammad Altaf tasted over 250 samples of tea from various estates in south India.
The delegation of importers felt that the quality matched some of the material, it imported from Bangladesh where the quality had improved significantly over the last few years.
However, it felt that the prices were slightly higher, and it is learnt that the highest offer made for some of the Indian tea was at $1.25 per kg. Generally, the offer price was in the range of $1 to $1.2.
The country having a tea market for 170 million kilograms was importing around two-third of this from Kenya, and the CTC variety accounted for 97 percent of the total tea consumption.
Pakistan has been importing tea from over 10 countries with Kenya leading followed by India. Imports from India started way back in 1977, and over the years had gone up.
There was a feeling that the Pakistan industry was looking at jet black tea, which could be blended with Kenyan varieties. The prices offered were much lower than the ones fetched in the domestic market. While the average prices were around Rs 45, the offer of something around Rs 50 as the landing cost would not prove beneficial to the industry.
Leading Pakistani importer Abdul Jabbar Paracha said that the price was an important factor and some of the Kenyan tea that matched the south Indian quality was available at less than Rs 45 per kg in Pakistan and the better ones at over Rs 80. Also, in Kenya all the tea were sold through auction and the system was transparent.
Tea Board''s Basudev Banerjee said that like done earlier, the Pakistani delegates could have offices in India and through agents could participate in the auctions.
Banerjee said that in just one year, exports to Pakistan had gone up three times and it was important for the industry to build on what had been done, The FE India reported.