Kathmandu, May 22:

Speaker Subash Nembang today urged the star hotels as well as leading restaurants and eateries to include Nepali finest quality tea in their beverage menu.

Stating that Nepali teas, particularly orthodox tea, are today internationally recognised and popular, but its domestic consumption is very low or have just a little knowledge about it, he said.

He urged the concerned stakeholders including producers, processors and entrepreneurs to promote Nepali tea in domestic market as well as in the international market.

Nembang — speaking at a ‘Tea Tasting’ event organised jointly by Himalayan Tea Producers’ Cooperatives Ltd (HIMCOOP) and GTZ- Private Sector Promotion Project in association with other stakeholders today — lauded the initiatives such as branding of Nepali tea with its own logo, implementing code of conduct and market promotion activities by private sector with support of donor agencies like GTZ and others.

Armin Hofmann, chief technical advisor of GTZ/Nepal office, said, Nepal has a competitive advantage in tea, especially grown in hilly regions. “Aroma and quality of Nepali orthodox tea are the world class, as they are cultivated on mineral rich Himalayan soil where pure mountain dew and swirling mists add values for fine tea leaves,” he added.

Uday Chapagain, chairman of HIMCOOP, said, Nepali orthodox tea has been able to establish its brand name in the international market.

“Today the market and cultivation of orthodox tea have increased significantly,” he said, adding that orthodox tea is cultivated in 7000 hectares of land and 1.7 million kg tea was produced in 2007 alone.

More than 7500 farmers are engaged in tea cultivation but 96 per cent of total production is being exported to international markets.

“The domestic consumption is very low,” Chapagain said.

Bhusan Subba, a tea expert, made a presentation on Nepali Himalayan tea, its production, marketing and various practices being adopted to meet the international quality and standard requirements.

He also briefed on code of conduct that regulates the production, processing and marketing of tea with due consideration for ecological, social and economic dimensions.

Later orthodox teas from different seasons were served to experience taste of Nepali teas.