February 23, 2014

Green tea demand growing by 17 pc in domestic market



Demand for green tea is growing at a  rate of 17 per cent per annum against only 3 per cent for black tea in the domestic market,
a Tea Board official said on Friday. Assam produced 2 million kg of green tea of the estimated production of 11 million kg in the country during 2013, Tea Board Executive Director (Incharge) Dipankar Mukherjee said while inaugurating a workshop on Green Tea in Golaghat, Assam.
India is the largest producer and consumer of black tea in the world while China is the largest producer and consumer of green tea in the world.  "The demand for green tea is rapidly increasing in India whereas in China, the demand for black tea is on the rise," he said emphasising the need for scientific and sustained production of green tea.  The workshop was organised by the North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) in association with PARCON (India) Private Limited and supported by the Tea Board.
More than 100 tea planters from Assam, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh along with several small tea growers participated in the workshop.  The workshop discussed various issues including the manufacture of green tea, its market prospects in India and machinery available for production.  Local entrepreneurs shared their experiences of producing hand-made green tea, organic tea and tea processing machinery.
Green tea is made from the leaves from Camellia sinensis that have undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originated in China, but it has become associated with many cultures throughout Asia. Green tea has recently become more widespread in the West, where black tea has been the traditionally consumed tea. Green tea has become the raw material for extracts used in various beverages, health foods, dietary supplements, and cosmetic items. Many varieties of green tea have been created in the countries where it is grown. These varieties can differ substantially due to variable growing conditions, horticulture, production processing, and harvesting time.