Export more to quality-seeking nations: Tea Board

Indian tea exporters would get greater value realisation if they concentrate on exporting to those countries which prefer high quality tea, the Tea Board said Thursday.

"The overall consumer trend is moving towards high quality tea as people have now become quality conscious and are willing to pay more for high quality tea," Tea Board Chairman M.G.V.K. Bhanu said here.

"Moreover, we will get greater value realisation if we concentrate on exporting to those countries which prefer high quality tea," Bhanu said.

He was presiding over an interactive session with exporters to address their concerns and to chalk out the way forward for the tea industry's export strategy.

According to him, presently world tea prices in black tea segment were being governed by Russia and the CIS countries, but in the next 15 to 20 years black tea prices would be governed by the US.

Bhanu stressed on the importance of the five focus countries - Russia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Egypt and the US.