"I am surprised to know that tea of such high quality is produced in Nepal," said Peter Goggi, executive vice president of TAA. "The taste is really of world class and it can definitely fetch good prices if exported to the US.”[break]
The team that included 10 businessmen returned after examining CTC and orthodox tea of Jhapa and Ilam. The businessmen showed keen interest on CTC tea produced by Gorkha Tea Estate of Fikkal, Green and Speciality Tea of Pashupatinagar and organic tea produced by Himalayan Shangrila Tea of Sakhejung. They said Nepali CTC tea has a good market prospect in the US.
While praising the taste, Goggi also suggested the farmers to further improve the quality, as there was enough scope to do that in order to get better price.
Jhapa and Ilam are known for producing high quality tea, but CTC tea processing factories are located in Jhapa only. There are 24 processing factories in Jhapa and they produce 10.39 million kg of CTC tea. Of that, 6.5 million kg are consumed within the country. "Eight percent of the remaining tea is exported to India and rest to the third world countries,” said Chandi Parajuli, proprietor of Danfe Tea Estate.
Parajuli added that as the American team highly loved the tea and has asked for the sample, tea farmers are hopeful that the market of CTC tea can be expanded in US as well.
Meanwhile, a team of tea producers are leaving for the US with samples of tea on Monday. During the visit, the team will exhibit their samples in various places of the US.
Udaya Chapagain of Gorkha Tea Estate, who is in the US-bound team, said farmers will get better price for green leaves once Nepali tea finds market in US.
Currently farmers are getting Rs 60 per kg for green leaves.
Currently, Germany is the major importer of Nepali tea. Nepali tea is also exported to England, Japan, Austria and some other countries.
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