Tea is supposed to be a health drink and it is a product made entirely from natural tea leaves. At no stage of the process is any other substance or ingredient added. Precautions are taken to harvest only leaf free from any contamination of chemicals, as tea bushes receive various ‘boost ups’ in the form of foliar spray. Leaf from fields receiving foliar spray will be given a rest, before harvesting, to ensure that there are no chemical particles left in the leaf collected to produce tea. These norms are practiced by all good manufacturers.

However, certain Regional Plantation Companies do not seem to believe in these norms. In a surprise check carried out by the officials of the Tea Board recently on an upcountry Tea Factory managed by an RPC, it was revealed that certain chemicals are added to the green leaf at the rolling stage. The management has admitted that they have done so in order to enhance the quality of tea! This is a gross violation of the provisions the Tea Control Act, beside the harm done to the reputation of Ceylon Tea.

One cannot rule out the possibility of a deliberate attempt being made by interested parties to blacklist Sri Lankan tea in the international market by resorting to sabotage of this nature. Right now, many attempts are being made by local and international agencies to cripple the economy of the country, and this may be one link in the chain.

We are reputed to add papaw seeds to pepper; plaster of paris to hoppers and the gullible masses simply swallow them without a murmur, but the international community may not be that gullible.

It is time that the Government and its agencies took a tough stand punished those guilty, to prevent the tea industry from being ruined by saboteurs.