Export of tea

Sir, - With reference to the Prime Minister's recent visit to Kerala, where he promised various measures to protect the rubber plantations; and with reference to another report stating that Russia will buy 50 million kg of Indian tea, I would like to make the following observations:

As far as rubber is concerned, the gift of the government in the form of not permitting import of rubber will have to be changed by March 31, 2001 to comply with the WTO regulations. Further, it will take a long time for rubber to be considered as an agricultural product under WTO regulations.

As far as tea is concerned, it is really hoped that it will be Indian tea that is exported to Russia and not foreign tea imported into India, and then exported as Indian tea. This has happened for some time and created the present crisis in the plantation industry, because import of foreign tea for the purpose of export has prevented Indian tea from being exported, and created a glut in the Indian market. Further, the import of tea from other countries and export of the same as Indian tea has spoiled the name that the Indian tea enjoyed abroad so far.

J. K. Thomas,

Kottayam (Kerala)

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