Mamata Banerjee vows to protect Darjeeling tea brand

Siliguri: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday vowed to put in place a system that will protect the brand image of Darjeeling tea.
Addressing local people at the inauguration a tourism fair in Darjeeling, Banerjee said she has taken strong note of the complaint from many planters that image of the Darjeeling tea is getting tarnished because of some unscrupulous traders and exporters.
She said, “Some people are exporting other varieties in the name of Darjeeling tea, tarnishing its image in the world market. We have decided to put a system in place. It will not leave any room for such unscrupulous practices.”
Reacting to Banerjee’s statement, B K Saria, chairman of the Darjeeling Tea Association, said: “Some exporters are blending tea from Nepal with the Darjeeling varieties. This has brought bad name to Darjeeling tea. The annual production of Darjeeling tea is six to seven million kilos while more than 10 million kilos are being sold in the name of Darjeeling tea.”
“Many planters in Darjeeling have been demanding quality control measures along the Indo-Nepal border to ensure that only good tea from Nepal reach India and sold strictly as Nepal tea,” he added.