Tea industry to promote the beverage among school kids

Kolkata: After targetting the college and university students, the tea industry is now aiming to promote tea drinking habit among school children in some cities of the country.

Indian Tea Association (ITA), the apex body of tea planters of the country, has already roped in two advertising agencies for working out the campaign modalities in the various schools.

ITA sources said that per capita consumption of the beverage in the country is only 786 gm per annum. "This has to be increased for which promotion of tea drinking among the school children was contemplated".

For increasing exports, ITA is now targetting the market of Iraq as the country was not importing tea from India.

"ITA will be a part of the delegation to Iraq which would go there this month-end for getting access to that market", he said.

Presently, Sri Lanka and Vietnam cater to the Iraqi market, sources said.

Meanwhile, India's estimated tea production fell by around 9.5 per cent to 111.82 million kg in May from 123.51 million kg produced in the year-ago month, data from the Tea Board India showed on Thursday.