Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan imported tea worth Rs 31 billion and green tea worth Rs 196 million from abroad during 2015 as Kenya is the largest exporter of tea to Pakistan with 66 percent tea export while rest of 34 percent is being imported from different countries. Green tea is being imported from China, Indonesia and Vietnam.

According to documents available with Daily Times, a cell of special crops was set up in Ministry of Food and Agriculture after separation of East Pakistan in 1971, under this cell a project entitled Research and Introduction of tea in Pakistan was launched in the country in 1973-74.

A programme for cultivation of tea was initiated in districts Mansehra, Swat and Batgram in KPK and later this project was handed over to Pakistan Agricultural Research Council. In order to carry out systematic studies on tea about two acres land was planted under tea in the village Baffa of district Mansehra, KPK during 1976-77.

In 1982, a four-memnber Chinese team worked out a feasibility report with regard to favourable localities for cultivation of tea in Northern areas. A coordinated tea research programme was launched on the basis of this report.

An agreement was signed between China and Pakistan for extending technical assistance on cultivation of tea for 3 years. A research centre was established on 50 acres land at Shinkiari in district Mansehra during 1986. This was aimed at enhancing tea productivity and promoting the tea producing areas.

Chinese experts again visited the areas with reference to production of tea in 1988 and filed economic feasibility report research centre on cultivation of tea in Pakistan. A well equipped soil and water testing laboratory, a plant for processing of 1000 kilogram black tea daily and a pilot green tea processing plant was established.