March 3: Nepali tea producing companies have been awarded for their taste and quality in the international contest. 

Nepali tea companies have won gold and silver medals in “Second Tea Quality Competition in China” organized by China Tea Marketing Association from September 20 to 21, 2022.

At the programme organized by National Tea and Coffee Development Board in Kathmandu, the awards were distributed on Thursday. The board had collected 40 tea samples from across the country and sent 16 tea samples after test of their quality and taste to China for the competition. 

Tinjure Tea Farmer Cooperative Society Limited has bagged Pearl Golden Black tea award. Likewise, Farmer  Tea Processing Industry’s FT Himalayn Gold, Himalayan Shangrila Tea Producers’ Shangrila gold, Gorkah Tea Estate Private Limited’s GTE Golden tea, Siddha Devi Tea Estate Private Limited’s Silver wings, and Kanchanjunga Organic Orthodox Tea Industry’s Golden Tips tea have won gold medals. 

In the same manner, Himalayan Shangrila Tea Producers’ Himlayan Sunrise Beauty, Shree Baraha Tea Industry’s Special black tea, Tinjure Farmer Cooperative Society Limited’s Normal Golden Black tea and Maina Pokhari Tea Processing Industry’s MP 10 Mirmire have won silver medals. 

Tea was planted in 16,917 hectares of the land and as many as 23,745 metric tons of tea was produced in the fiscal year of 2077/78 in Nepal.  More than 17,000 tea farmers and over 60,000 workers are involved in the tea business at the moment.

Nepal exported 11,920 metric tons of the tea worth Rs 3.79 billion in the last fiscal year, according to the Department of Customs. Tea farmers bemoan that they are selling their produce at low price despite its excellent quality. Nepal has a potential to export tea worth more than Rs 10 billion in a year.