Three hundred varieties of tea in 30 minutes, and a high five at the end of it! Students from eight colleges, along with members of the public, in six teams brewed up a storm that earned them a place in Kalam’s World Record Book on Monday. The event was organised by the Tea Board India, Coonoor, and the department of catering and hotel management of Sri Ramakrishna Arts and Science College, Coimbatore.
Tea Crafting 2k25, said Chief Guest M Muthukumar, Executive Director of the Tea Board of India, Coonoor, was a great way to present the varieties on offer. “Tea exports from India increased from $852 million in the 2023-24 FY to $900 million in 2024-25, driven by the high quality of tea, particularly from South India,” he added.
“India exported nearly 250 million kg of tea during the 2024-25 FY, primarily to various Central Asian countries, Russia, and Europe. Of this, 100 million kg was exported from South India. The reason is our minimal use of chemical fertilisers. It’s almost none. That’s why our tea is valued.”
He also said that large estates and farmers have their own established markets, but small tea growers lack such access. To address this, the Union govt has implemented a scheme to form Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) for tea. “These FPOs will help farmers access better markets, improve quality, and create direct export opportunities. In the 2024-25 FY, 177 FPOs were established in Ooty and Valparai, and they received training to produce export-quality tea.”
Muthukumar also spoke about the labour shortage on tea farms. “The Indian Tea Board has introduced mechanisation to help with this. The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry allocated `30 crore. We are providing training to small farmers on mechanisation to help them manage the labour shortage,” he said.