KATHMANDU: Producers of organic tea in the country have started installing ‘gasifier’ technology in tea farms to reduce the amount of a chemical called Anthraquinone on tea leaves.

Tea producers have said that the demand for Nepali organic tea has been plummeting after Nepali organic tea was found to have contained the chemical.

However, tea producers said that the ‘gasifier’ technology has been installed to reduce Anthraquinone on tea leaves. Gasifier or gasification is a process that converts organic or fossil fuel-based carbonaceous materials into carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Among others, Kanchanjangha Tea Estate has used the technology.

Primarily, Nepali organic tea has high demand in the European market. However, its demand in the European market has come down after Nepali organic tea was found containing Anthraquinone first in 2016.