Under New Code, Tea Prices Will Increase

AssamGarden400The price of quality tea will soon rise, according to The Economic Times. Major tea retailers will soon be selling their teas for higher prices if the tea originates from a garden falling under the Tea Board of India’s new quality assurance code. Along with domestic buyers, major stakeholders in the tea industry, including Twinings, Unilever, and Tetley, have recently voiced a need to source their teas with more responsibility. To address this issue, MGVK Bhanu, Chairman of the Tea Board, announced, "The sustainability code is being developed in partnership with the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), Solidaridad of Netherlands, Rainforest Alliance with the support of Hindustan Unilever (HUL),” He elaborated, “The code will be launched on July 11. A logo will be designed for the sustainable code and producers and packeteers will have to put this logo on their teas and packets. The code will be named Trust Tea code. The price of these teas will be a little bit higher. But consumers in India and abroad are not unwilling to pay a bit extra for a quality cuppa." This new code will apply to every facet of tea production. Aiming to increase the quality of the tea and stimulate the productivity of factories, this sustainability code will also recognize small tea growers. Given that one third of India’s tea production lies in the hands of small farmers, it is important to protect them as well. SOURCE: The Economic Times