Tuesday April 14, 2015 | 9 comments
Tribute teas were prepared for the emperors. To do that, the leaf plucked had to be of the finest type which were then shaped by the most skillful fingers of the artisans. It was this message that Austin Hodge carried during his first trip to India during March of 2015. His message was heard loud and clear by the Tea Board of India and Tea Research Association, resulting in an invitation being meted out to him to work for the Indian tea industry to improve the present scenario.
Austin visited Calcutta, Assam, Darjeeling, Dooars, Terai, Bihar and Nepal during his 20 day stay in the region. He learned from a large cross section of tea industry representatives – both small and large tea growers. He found time to study history by meeting the Singhpo tribe chief, and drew many conclusions about the India tea industry which do not form part of any written history so far – by the administration of India and Nepal, who are in the driving seats.
More and more tea travelers are visiting India and Nepal; their advent teaches us more about our own operations – on which we have been sleeping so far. Plucking standards is one such issue which has opened up now since we have recognised that tea bushes age and have to be replaced. The issue of terroir and planting material has started gaining currency and nearly every sample of tea needs an explanation as to its source and manufacturing patterns.
We have to change with changing times and have to keep pace. The visit from US Tea Growers – a group of people who are going to change the course of history – let us learn from them since America is going to be a big consumer of tea. The World Tea Expo is a big catalyst for this process; more interactions are needed to conform to their needs.
Images courtesy of Rajiv Lochan, Lochan Tea.
Rajiv,
As I learn about the tea industry from a retailers point of view, it’s all about education in the growing US market. As I build my company and get ready for a mid year open online, the people I talk to about tea think that all tea comes neatly in a bag from the grocery.
I need to educate my customers about specialty tea and there is a growing desire to know where the tea comes from. They want to know the story of their tea. Where does the tea come from, who grew it, how is it processed, is it organic, free trade, etc.
As more retailers come on-line and sell very inexpensive tea for its weight loss, health, “miracle cure” drink more consumers will become confused.
It’s all about educating the new tea consumer on what good tea actually is. Producers like yourself and the US group will need to continually educate the retailer like myself so that I can pass on that knowledge to my customer.
The purpose of my time in India was focused on the need for standards for quality for tea, that would define specialty tea. That is the message that they heard ‘loud and clear’ as Rajiv points out. Improving the scenario means shifting focus for parts of the industry to quality tea making from quantity tea making. I would suggest to you Stephen that before you can educate your customers you need to educate your self about what the elements of quality tea look like. If you can’t answer those questions now, perhaps it is a good time to do some research before hand, and do not buy tea from people that can give you the answers to these question. Don’t get suckered into the ‘this certification is the answer’ path. That simply is not good enough. Tea is a very competitive business, and people with just another website, have almost no chance of success. It really is about educating the American tea industry. Customers are educating themselves already without much substance coming from the industry.
Standards for quality are coming.
It must be very exciting Austin, to be able to bring this important information to India and to have them eager to learn. To shape the future to Indian tea is so important for everyone both in and outside of the industry. I hope this shift will benefit not only the consumers but the pickers in these areas as well. As the price point for speciality is higher, my hope is that the profits will filter down to the pickers who often live/work in relative poverty. Thank you for what you’re doing and to Rajiv for welcoming this change.
More and more standards are being set to streamline the marketing of teas and helping consumers to select right teas and from a growers perspective our goal must be to cater to the health of tea industry which in turn looks after our health in the long run.
Yes Rajiv. American tea consumption has been growing in double digits annually for many years now. I am so happy to learn that many of the younger generation of Americans are choosing tea over coffee. This is a first for us.
China evolved with tea – cultivating, manufacturing and consuming them ingrained as culture – a way of life – from where it spread to Taiwan and Japan. Another model is of commercial production…India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Kenya, etc. etc. – and both of these teas are now coming across American consumers. A need to streamline the mindsets while the nation is being exposed to tea in the sea of information is important issue which effects the growers and traders in between.
It is people like Austin and Rajiv that humble me when it comes to tea. They have the love of the leaf, which is what it’s all about, in a day when venture capital, slick branding and movie star endorsements mean ‘success’. They are the true ‘celebrities’ to me….not rich people who get richer with buy-outs and IPO’s and branding. They are the roots, the soul of the industry.
thanks Diana for the words of which I am not truly qualified but certainly I must do something for the industry which sustained me lifelong and my lucky coincidence to be exposed to Chinese tea gives me an added reason to do so..if the green leaf is recognised in India it will certainly give quality which will please the consumer and thereby sustain the worker..
Hi there, we have a similar situation as the post above. We sell Greek mountain tea and Greek herbal tea. And one of the things our audience enjoys the most is when we educate them about the health benefits of tea. Definitely a must these days. The richness in antioxidants and phyto-nutrients and being certified organic is important to our clients.