Nepal Tea Producers' Association to resume operations at tea factories

KATHMANDU: Nepal Tea Producers' Association (NTPA) has decided to resume operations at tea factories that had been shut down amid export difficulties.

The NTPA called off programmes to halt production after the government assured it would take initiatives to resolve problems affecting tea exports, particularly to India. Factories in Jhapa and Ilam districts that had closed over export issues resumed operations following the government's assurances, the association said in a notice on Thursday.

"It is a positive decision by the government to form a special taskforce to study and address issues relating to tea exports, along with a pledge to market internationally under a Nepali identity. Considering this, tea industries respect the government decision and have decided to operate the enterprises smoothly again," the press statement read.

The closures followed the Tea Board India's decision to make a standard operating procedure mandatory for tea imports into India, a move that had created significant challenges for Nepali tea farmers, entrepreneurs and exporters.

Earlier, the government formed a taskforce led by a joint secretary at the Bilateral and Regional Trade Diviion under the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supply, with members drawn from several ministries to address the export concerns.

(With inputs from RSS)