Giving national drink status to tea may hit sector’s growth, says govt
10 Aug 2014 4:53 AM IST
Amidst demand that tea should be declared a ‘national drink’, the government on Friday said according such a status to a particular beverage may impact growth of the entire sector.
Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the government has received representations from some quarters seeking to declare tea as a national drink of India.
‘Based on consultations with a cross section of plantation sector and taking into account the views expressed by various stakeholders including the state governments on the relative importance and role of competing beverages and drinks, it has been decided that declaring one particular beverage as national drink may adversely impact on the growth of beverage industry as a whole,’ she said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
India is the world’s second largest tea producer after China. India’s tea production in 2013-14 increased by about 8 per cent to 1,224.48 million kg on account of higher output in Assam and West Bengal.
Assam and West Bengal are the major tea-producing states, accounting for 80 per cent of India’s total output.
Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the government has received representations from some quarters seeking to declare tea as a national drink of India.
‘Based on consultations with a cross section of plantation sector and taking into account the views expressed by various stakeholders including the state governments on the relative importance and role of competing beverages and drinks, it has been decided that declaring one particular beverage as national drink may adversely impact on the growth of beverage industry as a whole,’ she said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
India is the world’s second largest tea producer after China. India’s tea production in 2013-14 increased by about 8 per cent to 1,224.48 million kg on account of higher output in Assam and West Bengal.
Assam and West Bengal are the major tea-producing states, accounting for 80 per cent of India’s total output.
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