FOR THE RECORD -- 13::

GLOBAL TEA DIGEST 2015 RELEASED

BY P S SUNDAR

‘Global Tea Digest 2015’, (GTD), the storehouse of statistical data on tea acreage, production, yield, prices, exports, import and domestic consumption relating to tea industry around the world, has come out.

“The data compiled in GTD are of great use to tea industry and trade for decision making.   They reflect the economic situation obtaining in current tea with rising prices and consumption trends.  These data post a bright outlook for 2016”, Tea Board Executive Director C Paulrasu told me after releasing GTD on Dec 22, 2015.

“There is a high demand from exporters for GTD as these data help on deciding their intake from India.  We take pride in sharing GTD with exporters”, L C Singhania, Chairman, Coonoor Tea Trade Association, who received the first copy, said. 

“This is our fifth annual edition.   It contains 60 classified tables, 120 detailed tables and colourful graphs spread to 160 pages”, Rajesh Gupta, GTD compiler, noted. 

“The data relate to black tea, green tea and instant tea around the globe”, N Sriram, President, Global Tea Brokers (GTB), said.

“Details of tea grades, tea tasting terminology and glossary are also included in GTD”, GTB General Manager Senthil Kumar said. 

“The GTD is distributed free-of-cost as our dedication to tea industry and trade”, GTB Executive Hariprasath added.

Besides the widespread statistical data on tea industry and trade, some facts about tea listed in the GTD are as fascinating as the very beverage.

For instance, do you know that In Myanmar, people eat, not just drink, tea?

“Fermented or pickled tea is a national delicacy of Myanmar.  It is eaten as Tea Leaf Salad”, records Tea Glossary section of GTD.

“We have recorded many less-known facts about tea production and drinking round the world”, GTD Compiler Rajesh Gupta told me.

Chinese green tea from Zheijiang province is rolled into small pellet-size ball and dried.  So, it is called ‘Gunpowder’.  This tea’s colour is also like gunpowder. 

The 7^th Duchess of Bedford gave birth to ‘afternoon tea’ drinking practice in the 19^th century as she drank tea to stave off hunger pangs between lunch and dinner.  Finger sandwiches, cakes or pasties accompanied the ‘afternoon tea’.

Chinese and Japanese tea mixed with stalk and dust and moulded into bricks under high-pressure were carried by Asian travellers to drink tea on their way and it was called ‘brick tea’.  

‘Handkerchief tea’ got its name from large silk handkerchiefs which Chinese tea growers used to collect their very tippy tea.

‘Chunmee tea’ is Chinese green tea resembling the shape of human eyebrow.

Tea transported on camel from China to Russia in the past was called ‘Caravan Tea’.

In Tibet, ‘Butter tea’ is boiled tea mixed with salt and soda, strained into an urn containing butter and dried barley and churned.  It is served is a basin with lumps of butter.

Collectively, GTD is an asset to tea industry, trade, consumers and academicians / researchers.  

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

FOR THE RECORD -- 12::

INDIA'S PRODUCTION IS FALLING ...

INNOVATION REQUIRED FOR PROMOTION ... STRESS AT KAMC PROGRAMME..

BY P S SUNDAR

(article in The Assam Review & Tea News Sept 2015)

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

GLOBAL OUTLOOK -- 2::

GLOBAL TEA OFFICIALS PRESENT A  “BIRD’S EYE VIEW”

BY P S SUNDAR

The 143^rd programme of Nilgiris Cultural Association (NCA) held at Velan Hotel in Coonoor on October 4, 2015, provided a guided tour into the cultural highlight of Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, Myanmar and Nepal.

The presentation is by officers of Tea Boards and Tea Research Institutes as also tea planters and manufacturers from these countries who are undergoing training on tea plantation management and tea tasting and quality assurance sponsored by Government of India at Kothari Agricultural Management Centre (KAMC), Coonoor.

“NCA has been staging such programmes with foreign delegates to provide cross-ventilation of culture.  In keeping with NCA’s practice, all such programmes are open to public free-of-cost”, I, as NCA President, said.

DR AVK IYENGAR

“NCA is doing yeomen service to KAMC in helping participants from one country to respect the culture of another as also to understand the rich cultural diversity of India”, said KAMC Director Dr AVK Iyengar, who was the Chief Guest. 

D ANTONY GERALD

The programme began with each country delegates lighting the traditional Kuthuvilakku (lamp).  A visitor from Japan Akiko also lit the lamp! Ramesh Bhojarajan (President, The Nilgiri Bought Leaf Tea Manufactures’ Association), D Antony Gerald (Human Resources Manager, Taj group of hotels in the Nilgiris) and Mrs Iyengar (wife of KAMC Director) also lit the lamp.

P S SUNDAR INTRODUCING SEEMA RAMAMURTHI

Seema Ramamurthi hailing from tea small grower family in Denali village, who is now doing post graduation in Medical psychiatry, co-ordinated the lighting ceremony. Her father Ramamurthy and mother Rajeshwari are using their income from, inter alia, tea garden to run a Home for the deserted aged in their village.

At the programme titled, “Bird’s Eye View”, the delegates showed their traditional dress, currency, food and national flag.  Besides singing their national anthem and folk numbers, they staged their folk dance.  They gave audio-visual presentation on tourism places, economy, agriculture, places of worship and lifestyle.

The highlight in Bangladesh presentation included Vapa Pitha which is comparable to South Indian Idli !!

Indonesians highlighted tourism beyond Bali.

Kenyan presented surprised the audience with Kenya tribal population singing Indian National Anthem.

Myanmar presentation traced the popular Burmese link with India.

Nepal presentation highlighted the impact of Earthquake 2015 and applauded Indian Prime Minister’s Modi’s instantaneous response.

Two Students of Mudra School of Dance, Coonoor, -- A Kanishka and R Harshitha -- presented Bharathanatyam with their Guru Bhavani Vishwanath on Nattuvangam to give a sample of Indian culture to the foreigners.  

The Indian National Anthem was sung with the Indian national Flag.

The full-house audience gave prolonged applause to the entire presentation and there was a long session of photographing by the various members.

The delegates said that they enjoyed presenting this programme and benefited a lot from interacting with others which gave them new friends and new areas for deliberations on tea management. 

“This is among the most fruitful presentations enriching the tea world with fraternity, knowledge and respect for each other”, added Ramesh Bhojarajan.

“This is a cultural extravaganza of NCA.  We thoroughly enjoyed.  It is more than tea.. well presented by the members highlighting the culture of their respective countries”, noted Antony Gerald.   

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com).

MILESTONE -- 2 :

SILVER JUBILEE OF NPA CENTENARY POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE

BY P S SUNDAR

The Vice Chairman of University Grants Commission, New Delhi, H Devaraj will usher in an improved infrastructure by inaugurating a new main block at NPA Centenary Polytechnic College in Kotagiri on September 26 to mark the Silver Jubilee of this reputed institution.

“He will also unveil a plaque in honour of the late GTS Pandiaraj, the first correspondent of the college.   Tea Board Executive Director C Paulrasu, College Correspondent Prashant Bhansali, Principal Dr Albert Ebenezer and Vice Chairman of Nilgiris Planters’ Association (NPA) Mohamed Iqbal will address a commemorative conference”, NPA Chairman K C Ponnappa told me.

Looking back, it needs to be recognised that the efforts spearheaded by Nilgiri planters, late M Thangavelu, late GTS Pandiaraj, G G Muthanna, M M Nanjapa and E B Sethna, resulted in the birth of the project to establish a polytechnic to mark NPA’s centenary.  For this purpose, the NPA Centenary Charitable Trust was created.

The college was dedicated to provide technical education with AICTE approval to plantation workers’ wards and poor residents of Nilgiris in 1991. Initially, it was functioning at Belvedere Bungalow but soon, Tamil Nadu Government allotted 20 acres of land on lease at Sakthimalai in Kotagiri.

“With liberal donations from NPA Charitable Trust, plantation companies, Tea Board and philanthropists, buildings spreading to 80,000 square feet were erected and the college moved on to this picturesque campus in 1994.   From 1995-96 academic year, the college is receiving grant-in-aid from Tamil Nadu Government”, Ponnappa disclosed.

Havukal Tea and Produce Co (P) Ltd., United Nilgiri Tea Estates Co Ltd (Chamraj Estates group), Stanes Amalgamated Estates Ltd (Kotada Estates group), BP Foddar Charitable Trust, A P Kothawala Memorial Trust, The Michael Walter Hoare  Memorial Trust, Anthony Hoare and family members of erstwhile planters of Nilgiris district gave liberal donations for buildings and other needs of the college.

Likewise, donations from Badaga Welfare Trust, P T Gnanasironmani (Pandian group), R M Sidambaram Pillai (Tuttapallam Estate) , UPASI Centenary Foundation, Forbes Charitable Trust, Kotagiri Kalyana Mandapam, Carrit Moran and Co P Ltd., J Thomas and Co P Ltd., Kothari Industrial Corporation Ltd., Kairbetta Estate Syndicate and Craigmore Plantations (I) P Ltd made significant contributions.

The college benefits from the coaching of 60 teachers spread to Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electronics and Communication Engineering, Automobile Engineering and non-Engineering departments.

A well-stocked library is being used by students and faculty. The College publishes quarterly newsletters and annual magazine.   Several projects have been undertaken with fund-support from AICTE and HADP.

The college’s students have excelled in sports contests at divisional and state levels.  It has good sporting infrastructure.

“By now, 6,132 students have received technical education at this college.  Industrial houses including HCL, TEXMO, Roots India and Tata Institute of Fundamental research, have recruited students through campus interview.  Many past students are working in the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, China and Middle East.  As part of Silver Jubilee, we are enhancing employment potentiality with aggressive training in spoken English and soft skills”, he observed.

“The college has won The Best Polytechnic trophy from the Indian Society for Technical Education.   As part of Golden Jubilee, we will be strengthening laboratories with modern equipments that help to hone up our students’ skill for meeting industrial requirements”, he added.

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

FOR THE RECORD -- 11 :

GAIN FROM KENYA'S LOSS & INNOVATIONS 

BY P S SUNDAR

(articles in The Assam Review and Tea News Aug 2015)

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)