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Sri Lanka has too many tea factories and steps should be taken to discourage the opening of new factories, Chairman, Sri Lanka Tea Factory Owners Association (SLTFOA), Lionel Herath told the 32nd Annual General Meeting at Waters Edge recently.
“We have vehemently opposed the opening of new tea factories and brought it to the notice of the authorities concerned on many occasions. Some tea factories have started to increase their capacity.
This needs to be monitored and restricted, until such time the extent under tea cultivation is increased and a significant increase of green leaf availability.”
There is a dip in tea production and also in yields. “For example, green leaf intake per acre per month in India is 314 kgs, Kenya 308 kgs and in Sri Lanka it is 197 kgs.”
Due to this there is a big demand and the ‘Green Leaf Collectors’ from every conceivable corner of the vast tea growing areas in all elevations scout for green leaf from distant places over 50 km with least regard to quality of leaf.
“At times, transporting for well over two hours invariably causes considerable post-harvest spoilage.” Leaf quality is obviously compromised at the altar of quantity, directly impacting the overall quality of the finished product of tea.
“Hence we suggest that green leaves be transported only within a maximum radius of 50 km,” he said.
As a solution to this ‘The B60 program’ was gazetted many years ago but was not fully implemented. “With the reimplementation of the B60 program, we trust all these irregularities will cease and the factories will get a better quality of green leaf,” Herath said.
The SLTFOA realised that the tea industry needed an independent assessment in moving forward with regards to policy changes and globally renowned consultancy agency PriceWaterhouseCoopers (Pvt) Ltd., better known as PWC was handed over the task after going through a rigorous selection process.
Source: https://www.sundayobserver.lk/2022/11/06/business/sltfoa-opposes-opening-new-tea-factories
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