2ND CAUCASUS TEA CONGRESS & INTERNATIONAL TEA FESTIVAL OPENS TODAY

Azerbaijan Business Center
Oct 23 2009

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Caucasus Business & Development Network (CBDN),
International Alert (UK) and German Technical Assistance Society
(GTZ) in accordance with the initiative and active participation of
the Association of Tea Producers of Georgian and the International
Association of Caucasus Tea Producers are to conduct the 2nd Caucasus
Tea Congress and International Tea Festival in Tbilisi on 23-24
October 2009.

The organizers inform that the event’s main goals and mission are:
support of economic growth in Caucasus countries; implement joint
economic projects in the tea sector; promotion of the Caucasus tea
across the region.

Rightness of such approach was checked and confirmed at the
Armenian-Georgian Tea Festival in Yerevan at the end of April and at
the 1st Caucasus Tea Producers’ Congress in Baku in July 2008.

International Association of Caucasus Teaplanters was established
precisely then.

Within the framework of the International Tea Festival a new Caucasus
Tea Package will be presented (high-quality black and green tea bags
with original design).

Production of single Caucasus tea brand is expected not only in
Georgia, but also in other republic of the South Caucasus.

Each Festival-participating tea-planter will present his products at
the separate table and serving round the best-grades tea made on site.

The festival program includes two tea contests:

The results of the first contest to be organized by reps of the public
and tea-lovers will be published in the course of the festival. The
results of the second contest will be arranged by professional
tea-testers will be published at the official meeting of the festival
participants.

The issues of cooperative problem solving in the Caucasus tea sector,
revival of generous tea traditions, strengthening of the tea industry
export capacity and engagement of foreign investors in the Caucasus
tea sector will be main topics at the 2nd Tea Congress on 23 October.

Representatives of the governmental and non-governmental organizations,
prominent academics, experts, tea producers and tea business
representatives from all over Caucasus and other countries (the UK,
Sri Lanka, etc) will take part in the event.

The event challenges are:

– Promotion to economic growth and joint economic projects on
tea-planting in the Caucasus;

– Popularization of tea as restorative and treating drink. Keeping
and development of best traditions of tea farming in the Caucasus;

– Uniting of efforts of Caucasus tea community for tea growing
development;

– Assistance in access to new tea sales markets;

– Assistance in rehabilitation of tea plantations and upgrade of
tea production technologies in the Caucasus and raising economic
efficiency of tea industry in the region;

– Creation of system of mutual support and orientation of domestic
Caucasus tea market development to local high-quality teas as
alternatives to low-grade imported teas;

– Assistance in organization of co-operation between tea producers
and distributors in the Caucasus;

– Collection and exchange of data about state of introduction of modern
scientific & technical achievements in the area of technologies of
tea farming and processing in the region.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress