Agriculture Minister highlights China’s support to promote Nepal’s tea industry

Kathmandu / Oct 29: Minister for Agriculture, Land Management and Cooperatives, Chakrapani Khanal, has underlined the need of making efforts to follow the pace of development achieved by China.

Taking part in a conference on tea culture of Nepal and Sichuan Province of China here today, the minster described the Nepal-China bond incomparable and strong. He was of the view that Nepal was yet to take benefits from the developments achieved by its one of the close neighbours.

“China does not need to be briefed about the Nepal’s tea culture and probably the northern neighbour knows the most about tea processing, manufacturing and marketing aspects among the rest of the world.” He took a time to highlight the China’s support to promote tea industry in Nepal.

According to the minister, Nepal exports tea worth Rs three billion every year and it has high potentiality for being in a list of exportable agricultural products.

Sheshkanta Gautam, executive director of National Tea and Coffee Development Board said tremendous achievements that China recorded in the past 30 years in the areas of in infrastructure development; and modernization of agriculture were not easily describable.

Mr Liya, vice secretary general, the people’s government of Yibin, China and Mr Zhang Ping, vice mayor, the people’s government of Yibin expressed their confidence that this type of event would help open a way towards a new dimension for Nepal-China tea industries and further development of tea culture.

Nepal-China Media Society’s president Dhruba Poudel said the objective of organising the programme was to find a floor for open discussions on the tea culture among tea experts from both countries.

On the occasion, Nepal Tea and Coffee Development Board and Sichuan-based Yibin Tea Industry signed a Memorandum of Understanding for conducting training and providing skills and technology to maintain quality of green tea leaves produced in Nepal and on the exchange of tea culture. Tea and coffee produced in Sichuan were put on the exhibition on the occasion. RSS