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Kohinoor Mandal

THE India International Tea Convention 2003 is witnessing an intriguing situation which nevertheless is good for the sector as a whole. While different sections of the industry are fighting among themselves over the Tea Marketing Control Order 2003 (TMCO), they have not hesitated to join hands to make the meet a grand success.

In New Delhi, the Tea Board and tea producers are fighting a legal battle against buyers in the Supreme Court over the contentious TMCO. In Kolkata, they have come together to showcase the industry for the benefit of the world's tea audience.

The convention has been organised jointly by the Tea Board, (representing the Union Government), Consultative Committee of Plantation Associations (CCPA, tea producers' forum) and Indian Merchant Tea Exporters Forum (one of the aggrieved tea buyers' body). Despite their differences over TMCO, the organisers claimed that the convention would be a "grand success" as every member of the industry would rise above petty interests.

Representatives from leading tea consuming nations such as Germany, Russia, Japan, the UK, the US and several West Asian countries will be present at the meet. Even competitors of Indian tea like Sri Lanka and Kenya are expected to participate in a big way. The organisers are expecting more than 600 participants of which some 120 will be overseas nations. Leading domestic producers like Tata Tea, Hindustan Lever and Goodricke have already enrolled as sponsors of the meet. Not just tea companies, even shipping lines, packaging organisations and owners of retail tea chains are expected to be present on the occasion.

The convention is expected to focus on the international and India tea markets and the health aspects of tea drinking. An exposition of wide ranging tea products and machinery has also been planned.

The meet is expected to give the tea producers, exporters, blenders, distributors, packaging companies, equipment manufacturers, suppliers, trade associations and all connoisseurs an opportunity to interact.

Mr Anshuman Kanoria, President of the merchant exporters forum, told Business Line some time back that TMCO was just a trade related issue and nothing more. It may be noted that though merchant exporters were strongly against TMCO, they still played a significant role in bringing back normalcy to the tea auction mechanism. "In the convention, we will showcase our industry to the rest of the world. The Indian tea industry will be present at the meet as one entity. We have differences of opinion over TMCO but it is just a trade related matter," Mr Kanoria said.

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