Sri Lanka Sri Lanka entered the Guinness World Records for brewing the world’s largest cup of tea. A giant red mug was filled with 1,000 gallons (4,546l) of water, 141lb (64kg) of tea, 1,929lb (875kg) of malted milk powder and 353lb (160kg) of sugar. It was almost 33% bigger than the previous record, set last year by the US. The tea was later driven around Colombo, and handed out to locals in small plastic cups. A representative from Guinness World Records certified the feat.
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Sri Lanka
Merrill J. Fernando, the founder of Dilmah tea, has been selected 2010 Brand Icon at the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM) Brand Excellence Awards 2010. The annual award is given to a Sri Lankan national who has created a successful international brand that enhances the image of the country. “Quite honestly, the real icon is the wonderful image that Ceylon Tea enjoyed at the time I launched Dilmah, Single Origin Tea,” Fernando was quoted as saying by the local media.
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India
Production of Darjeeling tea in the first six months of the year has been hit by drought lasting from October, 2009 to April 2010 and poor weather conditions, leading to a 12% year-on-year drop in production according to reports in the Indian media. A switch to organic farming by some plantations has also been cited. Estimates of a 10% decline in annual production (less than 8 million kg) are being projected, one of the lowest crops in 40 years.
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Kenya
The average price paid for tea on Mombasa’s auction floor has reached a five-year high, with average weekly process standing at US$2.49/kg in October, according to a market report by African Tea Brokers Limited (ATB). Kenyan tea is faring the best with an average sale price of US$2.74/kg as of the end of September.
Australia
Lipton has invited Stuart Sanders to help produce its Tea Connoisseurs Guide, which features Sanders’ tips and trade secrets to help prepare the ultimate ‘cuppa’. Sanders is one of the four Silver Tea Masters in Australia, and the guide is compiled for tea enthusiasts everywhere, detailing what it takes to take a brew to the next level. Several of the hints include turning the kettle off as soon as the water boils and using it then before adding milk, and soaking Lipton’s trademark tea bags for three minutes only so as to prevent over-brewing. The release date and format of the guide is yet to be determined, but for updates, visit Lipton’s website http://global.lipton.com.au/ for more information.
Thailand
Construction on a new THB1.06 billion (US$3.25 million) plant is already underway, according to the Oishi Group, one of the country’s largest beverage manufacturers. The new facility will complement its Pathum Thani plant in the Navanakorn Industrial Estate. The plant will be the fourth built by the company in Thailand to date. Oishi Group said that the new UHT facility will consist of four production lines and have an annual capacity of 435 million 250-milliter cartons on three of the lines and 42 million one-liter cartons on the remaining line. The plant is slated to begin operations next April.
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Vietnam The Vietnamese government is looking to improve the quality of the tea it exports after it was determined that the quality of its own tea has been spotty at best. Vietnam currently produces 180,000 tons of tea every year, 130,000 tons of which is exported. Most of the poor quality had arisen because of the lack of competitiveness and mismanagement of logistics and resources by tea producers in the country. In addition, pesticides, chemical fertilizers and additives are often used to help meet production quotas.
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Taiwan
Taiwan Tea Association Chairman Hsu Cheng-Ching has recently called on the Taiwanese market to open up to Chinese tea at a recent seminar held to discuss the highly controversial Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) that was signed in June. ECFA will see tariffs eliminated for a myriad of Taiwanese and Chinese products including tea over the next two years Hsu argued that should the market fully open to Chinese tea, Taiwanese makers will have greater access to materials and supplies from mainland China, creating a win-win situation for both countries.
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China
During the first quarter of 2010, the value of tea exported from China’s Fujian province rose 18.7% to US$30.3 million. The export growth rate is consistent with the previous year and is an accumulation of the 2.9% growth rate recorded in the first half of the year, and a sharp increase of 17.6% during June itself – the highest increase in the half year alone. Approximately 78% of the exports are directed to Japan and Hong Kong.
Pakistan
The Pakistan Tea Association (PTA) reported that black tea imports increased from 7 million kgs worth US$16.9 million last July to 14.21 million kg worth US$29 million this July, nearly doubling last year’s figures. The sharp increase could be attributed to the illegal trade routes crossing the Pakistan-Afghan border being blocked by US paramilitary forces battling extremists in the region, bringing illegal tea imports down to the same level as legitimate imports.
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