Naveen in Japan to restore Ceylon Tea market
Sri Lanka is fast losing its market share for tea in Japan as a result of which the government is in Tokyo trying to work out an arrangement to ensure continued sales of Ceylon Tea.
Lack of glyphosate in the market had compelled tea growers to use substitute substances that has resulted in high residue levels found in the teas.
Due to this issue Sri Lanka’s teas have been rejected by Japan as the tea sent there was found to exceed the maximum residue levels of the weedicide MCPA in tea.
In this regard, Plantation Industries Minister Naveen Dissanayake led a delegation to Japan this week and spent five days there in a bid to re-build the confidence of the Japanese in Ceylon Tea, Sri Lanka Tea Board Chairman Lucille Wijewardena told the Business Times.
The minister was due to engage in talks with Japanese government officials with the aim of requesting them to adopt the maximum standard of 0.1 ppm compared to the present Japanese standard of 0.01. Europe maintains a maximum standard of 0.05 ppm, he said.
Meanwhile, with the glyphosate ban lifted the authorities are expected to import the herbicide through two private sector organisations and the distribution of which would be handled by the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC).
“We have done everything possible to fast-track and now its upto the Ceypetco to get it as soon as possible,” Mr. Wijewardena said.
Already Sri Lanka is losing its market share in Japan by about 40 per cent due to the poor quality teas sent there, which were rejected in the recent past and replaced by Kenyan teas. Sri Lanka exports at least 8 million kg of Ceylon Tea to Japan annually.
However, the industry is concerned that the delay in bringing down the glyphosate could further aggravate the situation on the estates that would turn into virtual jungles by the time imports commence, Hayleys Plantations Managing Director Roshan Rajadurai told the Business Times.
He pointed out that it was “sad to see the plantations” as the weeds were overgrown and it was not possible to blame the managers.
Mr. Rajadurai observed that in future the weeds and tea bushes that compete for water, sunlight and nutrition could result in a drop in the quality of leaf tea.
Moreover, he explained that due to weeds pluckers were refusing to go onto the fields due to leeches and it was also noted that it was possible that some of the weed leaf would get mixed with the tea leaf.
This would result in affecting the quality of Ceylon Tea, Mr. Rajadurai said adding that Japan today is refusing to buy local teas.
Registrar of Pesticides department official Lasantha Ranaweera speaking with the Business Times on Wednesday said that the gazette sent to the Legal Draftsman to restrict the use of glyphosate by only the tea and rubber sectors would be issued subsequently.
He pointed out that last year alone there were more than seven cases against paddy farmers in different courts due to the use of glyphosate by paddy farmers in paddy fields.
Mr. Ranaweera explained that a team from the World Health Organisation was in the country for some time to conduct tests on the prevalent chronic kidney disease and its relation to the use of glyphosate. However, the results of these tests have not been issued as yet, he said.