Tea trade people from Hong Kong were here in March this year. Primarily to garner support for the Hong Kong Tea Trade fair in August. ‘The Island’ reported extensively on the March visit. The Tea Trade Fair is now pleasant history.

According to Director Tea Board, Hasitha de Alwis eight Companies including the Tea Board attended the Tea trade fair, and were to substantiate that the ‘Hong Kong Factor’, yielded good results. These eight Companies left Hong Kong with substantial orders. All told The Hong Kong experience was wholly beneficial to tea and expectations were that such exposure was mutual for expansion. Hasitha de Alwis said prospects were not inconsiderable and could be expanded. The Hong Kong delegation visiting in March this year included Josephine Lam, head of delegation, and L. Kwanho.

They are scheduled to visit the Island again this week, to map out further strategy for the next trade fair in 2010. Further comment would be premature a this point in time, but plans could be informed after the visit concludes.

Meanwhile, President/CEO Asia Siyaka Tea Brokers Ltd., Anil Cooke said crop deficit of 40 million kilos this year would not be recouped. Possibility that such minus pointers would escalate are now real.

Dr.DAD, Samansiri of the TRI, said they were investigating reasons for such serious crop short fall. He said it would be premature to substantiate ruling before conclusions are reached. But initially drought and labour unrest were considered important in assessing their conclusions but certainly there would be other reasons as well.

Dr. Samansiri also said there are now quite a number of clones developed that are resistant to drought. The TRI, 4006,4042, (Read 40 42 and so on) also 40 67, were newest in the series developed so far. Already some 85 hectares are in mother bush plots grown for expansion, he said. The Estate sector too has been included in propagating multiplication plots.

Reverting to market conditions, Cooke said current impasse would continue till year end. Although Colombo auctions usually follow Mombasa (Kenya), in this instance Mombasa returned relatively good results Crop shortfall in Kenya, and India, was now curtailed and likely hood of such deficit returns being surpassed were possibilities that did not exist.

Last week 5.8 million kilos were on offer. This week it would reveal marginal increase of 6.2 million kilos.

Prices would return to substantial levels of evenness. He also said weather patterns might change but it was now too late to influence crop intakes.