Guwahati, Feb 20 (UNI) The tea producers in the country is vying to tap the overseas markets in Egypt and Iran to boost exports that has remained static for the last two years.

Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh today informed here that the Tea Board of Indian in collaboration with tea plantations associations would set up a tea marketing center at Cairo in March to cater to the growing demand for Indian tea in Egypt.

He informed that Iran and Egypt were emerging as two new growing markets for Indian tea while Iraq, Russia and UAE continued to buy about 65 % of the total tea exported by India every year.

Pakistan, the second largest importer of tea in the globe, that used to import bulk of its tea from Sri Lanka and Kenya, imported 16 million kgs of tea from India including two million kgs from Assam.

Pakistan imports average 135 million kgs of tea every year. Mr Ramesh said it was for the first time Assam tea made forays into Pakistan market.

He commented that 2006 was good for the Indian tea industry as it recorded highest production figure of 970 million kgs that was 24 million kgs more than the production figure in 2005.

Assam produced 490 million kgs of tea in 2006 that accounted for 52 % of the total tea produced in the country.

Average price of tea in the domestic market increased by Rs eight per kg in 2006 though the export figure remained static at 185 million kg as it was in 2005.

Meanwhile, the TBI had decided to hold the India International Tea Festival, that was originally scheduled to be held in Guwahati, in three leagues at Kolkata, Darjeeling and Jorhat later this year.

UNI