Trends – Tea Biz

| Over the Cliff | Elemental Exam

Tea Industry News for the week of July 27

Over the Cliff
World Tea Expo Goes Virtual
Made in America
DMCC Expansion Plans
Measuring Elements in Tea

Historic contraction follows 23 quarters of economic growth as high unemployment and rising infections make a long recovery likely.

Over the Cliff

Few tea ventures deployed parachutes capable of breaking the fall as the world’s economies catapulted over the second quarter cliff.

The result is the permanent closure of hundreds of high-profile tea locations in malls and tourist destinations as well as beloved Mainstreet independents like the 10-year-old Wenham Tea House in Massachusetts and 27-year-old Lucy’s Coffee & Tea in Birmingham, Ala.

The Samovar Tea Lounge’s three San Francisco locations are “hibernating” for an unspecified time and the Floating Mountain Tea House will relocate from New York’s upper west side to Croton-on-Hudson upstate. Restaurants that featured fine tea, including Augustine in New York’s Beekman hotel, Vaucluse on Park Avenue and “even the glitzy McDonald’s flagship store off Times Square closed,” according to a list maintained by Eater New York. In July DAVIDsTEA permanently shuttered 213 locations including 42 in the U.S. leaving only 18 in Canada.

The U.S. experienced a record 9.5% drop in economic output, that if left unchecked before the year ends could lead to an unprecedented 32.9% annualized decline in GDP. Europe experienced a 12.1% decline, its worst contraction on record. Canada, which has suffered many fewer infections and COVID-19 deaths than the EU and US, estimates its economic activity will decline 12%, according to Statistics Canada. Retail sales in all the Western countries signal a deep recession with several segments, including food service, plummeting from the end of March and continuing their decline through April. Retail rallies began in May except in the U.S. where a new surge of infections led to a loss of steam by July.

The descent was especially rapid and painful in the U.S. It is difficult to get precise numbers on sales of tea in retail channels. Grocery sales figures are generally good as millions of customers that purchased tea at restaurants and cafes now brew at home. Online sales spiked last spring but are flattening. The tea shop category mirrors the fate that has befallen small independently owned cafes and bars with some segments such as Sunday afternoon tea in tony hotels and at cozy Victorian tearooms located in southern tourist towns virtually annihilated.

“Afternoon tea was devastated in the U.S. in particular—most of those businesses didn’t have a way to pivot online or offer tea-to-go,” writes Abraham Rowe, founder of Sinensis Research in Washington, D.C. Rowe observes that online sales proved to be a lifesaver, “people were loyal to some local shops, and are now shopping online from them.”

“Store closures are down a bit—I don’t have final figures, but hope to run another survey sometime to finalize it,” said Rowe.

As brick and mortar sales at tea merchants slipped over the precipice, online sales increased but not uniformly. An updraft enabled Amazon to glide to the bottom with a year-over-year increase of 34% in tea sales, totaling $29 million for the 52 weeks ending in May, according to Hinge Global. Walmart generated an unexpected $4 billion during the first quarter, up 4% over the same period compared to the previous year. The company announced it intends to become a “omnichannel” business. During the past year Walmart consolidated its online and physical store operations and is focused on expanding e-commerce rather than building new stores.

Amazon and Walmart are the exceptions amid a pandemic that devastated the retail sector. While customers ordered groceries online and had food delivered, very few tea ventures had time to deploy a Plan B. DAVIDsTEA, headquartered in Montreal, Canada, in March closed 231 locations eliminating $12.1 million in second quarter sales. Sales for the three months ended May 2 declined 27.3% to $32.2 million. Wholesale and online revenue climbed $9.3 million to $17.0 million. Online sales reflect the trend identified by Rowe at Sinensis Research: specialty tea buyers online remain loyal to their local tea shop whether in a mall or downtown.

“Sales in grocery stores and pharmacies across Canada continues solid growth,” according to Frank Zitella, who is both CFO and COO at DAVIDsTEA. He wrote in a July 31 earnings report that “with first quarter sales growth of over 120% year-over-year, we are extremely pleased that our loyal tea-loving customers have shifted to buying our teas online, and in supermarkets and drugstores. The strong performance of these sales channels provided us with the confidence that we are on the right path for the future.”

See: DAVIDsTEA Reorganizes for additional detail.

Calls to wholesalers confirm that while online sales have eased the painful loss of tea house closures, declining monthly orders from restaurants and hotels resulted in orders that are no where near pre-pandemic norms. The collapse of restaurant dining, which accounts for 20% of tea sales globally, is the biggest cause. Some 2.2 million restaurants worldwide are not expected to survive through 2020. Closings have a greater impact on coffee sales in the U.S. but in tea drinking nations like the UK and Russia the shift from away-from-home to at-home preparation has been significant.

McKinsey Small Business Forecast

“In a muted recovery, it could take more than five years for the most affected sectors to get back to 2019-level contributions to GDP,” according to McKinsey & Company. Small businesses, which are hard hit due to lower margins and limited reserves, constitute 68% of the food services and accommodations sector and are not expected to recover before the first quarter 2024 stretching into 2025. Arts, entertainment and recreation sectors will take even longer, according to U.S. Small Business Recovery After the COVID-19 Crisis.

“After the 2008 recession, larger companies recovered to their pre-crisis contribution to GDP in an average of four years, while smaller ones took an average of six,” writes McKinsey Global Institute.

“Improving operations and adapting business models can help small businesses in many industries recover,” observes McKinsey, but muted demand, operational challenges due to health and safety restrictions and new customer expectations all take time: “Finding the cash to do so may be a stretch.”

Working capital is often tied up in inventory and small businesses have added cost servicing their debt. A McKinsey survey of 1000 small firms finds the cost of servicing debt averages 30% of revenue. The shift to off-premise delivery and carryout “is likely to erode profitability and increase packaging costs and hinder their ability to sell high-margin items.” McKinsey found that nearly 40% of small businesses in the restaurant sector operate at a loss or break-even.

Solutions suggested in the report involve technology and marketing.

“Independent restaurants might digitize their businesses by using aggregators to increase their visibility, reach potential diners, and outsource their delivery,” write McKinsey authors Andre Dua, Deepa Mahajan, Lucienne Oyer and Sree Ramaswamy.

“Aggregators might help by offering additional on-boarding support or spotlighting small, independent restaurants on their platforms. Some combination of public and private aid may also be necessary for small restaurants, especially offering technical and financial support they’ll need to compete with larger ones that can build contact-less solutions at scale,” according to the report.

“The crisis has exposed financial frailties that have built over time, and the next normal could impose additional burdens,” according to the authors, who add, “The survival of US small businesses across the economy will require new business models and technology solutions that few have the resources to finance.”

World Tea Hosts Virtual Summit

Organizers of the World Tea Expo this week announced a virtual summit scheduled for the second week of October.

The World Tea Conference + Expo was postponed from June 14-16 to October. It was later canceled due to restrictions on events drawing large crowds to the Colorado Convention Center, in Denver Colo.

The World Tea Virtual Summit + Resources is scheduled for October 12-14.

“The virtual summit will introduce online networking and lead generation,” according to Questex, organizers of the event. Guests include Sebastian Michaelis, head of tea at Tata Global Beverages; Peter Goggi, president of the Tea Association of the USA, and Tony Tellin, co-founder of A. Tellin Co.

The agenda of three half days offers an opportunity to “learn from peers, share ideas, network virtually and safely, and support one another as we continue the shared journey through COVID.”

The next live, in-person event is scheduled for July 14-16, 2021.

Learn more: World Tea Conference + Expo

Made in America

Great quantities of tea are blended in America but according to the Made in America Act, a product manufactured in the US that claims to be American made, must contain at least 50% US ingredients.

A Lexology post this week discusses a class action suit “that calls out Bigelow Tea for pushing unpatriotic tea.”

The post summarizes a report by Linda Goldstein and Amy Ralph Mudge with the Washington D.C. based law firm Baker & Hostetler.

The complaint, filed in California’s Central District Court, by Kimberly Banks and Carol Cantwell, alleges that by promoting their tea as “Manufactured in the USA 100% American family owned” and “America’s classic” Bigelow violates provisions of the California Consumer Legal Remedies Act, False Advertising Law, Unfair Competition Law, and Breach of Express and Implied Warranty.

Plaintiffs allege themselves and other consumers, “purchased the Bigelow Tea products because they reasonably believed, based on the packaging and advertising, that these products are American-made. However, the products are comprised solely of foreign-sourced and processed tea.”

Had plaintiffs known the truth “they would have paid less for them or they would not have purchased them at all,” reads the complaint.

Bigelow Tea responded Friday with the following statement: “Bigelow unequivocally disputes the allegations in this California based lawsuit.”

“Every box with our statement of being “Manufactured in the USA” refers to the fact these teas are produced and distributed by one of our three Bigelow owned and operated manufacturing facilities, located in Connecticut, Kentucky, and Idaho. In addition, our packaging clearly states that our teas are “Blended and Packaged in the USA”. Bigelow continues to be open and transparent about our global sourcing of ingredients (many of which come from the United States) on both our website and the packaging of select varieties of our teas.”

“Frivolous lawsuits such as these are designed to purposefully damage the reputation and finances of the companies they target. Bigelow Tea is proud to be a 100% American family owned and operated manufacturing company and we are prepared to vigorously defend ourselves against this meritless lawsuit,” writes Bigelow.

While Bigelow owns the largest US tea farm, The Charleston Tea Garden, located in Charleston, South Carolina, the tea garden markets its tea under its own brand. The plantation website makes it clear that “Bigelow Teas are not made from any of the tea leaves grown or harvested here at the Charleston Tea Garden. Charleston Tea Garden teas are the only teas made from the tea leaves produced by the Camellia Sinensis plants grown in the fields of the Charleston Tea Garden.”

DMCC Expansion Plans

UAE Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed tours DMCC’s tea and coffee centers. Photo courtesy DMCC.

Fifteen years ago, Ahmed Bin Sulayem, executive chairman and chief executive officer of Dubai’s Multi Commodity Centre (DMCC) envisioned a tea trading hub that would service the world’s largest growing regions.

Today DMCC processes 48,000 metric tons of tea annually, accounting for 60% of global re-exports. The facility has processed 320 million kilos since its inception. The modern port facilities and airfreight capability attracted 800 new companies during the first half of 2020, said Bin Sulayem, adding that the months of May and June saw a “noticeable uptick despite an overall softer business climate.”

The tea center and atmospheric-controlled warehouse, which stores 5,000 metric tons, has a turnover of $184 million annually.

Commodity teas from 13 origins are blended for consistency and these blends, are often mixed to make herbal, floral inclusions sold as some of the world’s most popular teas. Examples include Earl Grey and the many breakfast blends distinct to markets in Ireland, Scotland, and England. Classic brands processed include Lipton and Red Rose as well as local blenders such as Tea Trading International DMCC, a Dubai-based British SME that markets brands Vertea and The Leaf to food-service catering, hotel, and resort customers.

DMCC’s tea and its new coffee center drew the attention recently of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, during a visit reported by Gulf Today.

“Under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, DMCC is fast becoming the global hub for the tea and coffee industry. Our ambitious plans to triple our capacity in the near future are strategically anchored in Dubai’s drive and ability to facilitate world trade,” said Bin Sulayem.

In a release by Arjun Katyal, of McLeod Russel Middle East DMCC, said, “The DMCC’s expansion plans are incredibly exciting, and represent a huge boost to Dubai’s status as a leading global trade hub. We have been a DMCC Tea Centre member since 2011, and have seen, first-hand, the expertise, experience and vision that has shaped the success of this facility. McLeod Russel Middle East DMCC has its sights set on continued growth, and we will continue to engage new markets and reach a wider customer base than ever before. The DMCC Tea Centre has an important role to play in our success story, and we congratulate them on their latest announcement.”

Since 2005 DMCC has become one of the fastest growing free zones in the world with more than 17,000 companies conducting business in a number of sectors including precious metals, tea and coffee, and food commodities. Establishments and individuals operating in DMCC are exempt from all taxes including income tax, for a period of 50 years.

Measuring Elements in Tea

Minerals are essential to the heath of tea plants and for tea drinkers to experience the full range of tea flavor, but too much of even the best of things in life can create problems.

Researchers Dr. Ying Guo, Dr. Seungjin Lee, and Dr. Tae Lee at Georgia Gwinnett College are currently engaged in testing five commonly available tea brands using a handheld Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) unit manufactured by SciAps. The Z-300 analyzer detects very low concentrations of mineral and potentially harmful heavy elements.

The team, whose lab work is temporarily suspended during the pandemic, detected all of the following minerals and alkali metals (Cs, K, Li, Na) in five popular tea brands. The three most common minerals were carbon, calcium, and magnesium in all five samples. Several heavy metals were also present in all five samples including Cd and Cr which are toxic in very low concentrations.

“(Before the shutdown), we obtained the spectra of tea samples and were able to qualitatively determine the elements present,” Guo says. The next step will be to calibrate and complete the quantitative analysis, she says.

Element	Daily Intake Thresholds
Al (Aluminum)	0.10–0.12 mg Al/kg/day for adult
C (Carbon)	None
Ca (Calcium)	1300 mg/day [harmful > 1500 mg/day]
Cd (Cadmium)	FAO/WHO rules limit Cd to 0.2 mg/kg
Cr (Chromium)	120 µg/day [harmful > 200 µg/dan
K (Potassium)	4700 mg/day [harm depends on weight]*
Li (Lithium)	Lithium toxicity level is 1.5 mEq/L
Mg (Magnesium)	320-420 mg/day (varies with age)
Na (Sodium)	Less than 2300 mg/day
P (Phosphorus)	1000 mg/day [harmful > 250 mg]
Si (Silicon)	Elemental silicon is an inert material

Source: US FDA and National Institute of Health

Researchers pelletized tea grains from each brand and measured the intensities of emission spectra at different wavelengths to determine the presence of elements of interest in the samples. Results were validated by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy.

Analyzer manufacturer SciAps notes that “minerals play an important role in maintaining the human body. For example, Ca helps with the functions of muscle contraction, enzyme activity, healthy bones and teeth, blood clotting, transmission of nerve impulses, and regulating heartbeat. K can help reduce risks for certain diseases such as stroke, kidney stones, and hypertension. Even though those are beneficial elements to the human body, there is still a suggested daily intake limit.”

The article states that “additionally, tea may be contaminated by heavy metals, “either as a result of uptake from soil or from atmospheric dispersion due to vehicular or human activities,” according to Guo. This is what led them to investigate the levels of both the beneficial minerals

(e.g., potassium and calcium) and unwanted contaminant elements (e.g., cadmium and chromium) present in different tea brands. Heavy metals can be highly toxic even at a very low concentration. LIBS was able to detect the presence of these metals in all five samples.

The following table lists the quantities of each element by relative abundance for each tea brand.

Table courtesy Dr. Ying Guo, Georgia Gwinnett College

The research has not been published, but once reviewed, “By comparing with recommended daily intake limits and reference dose, we’ll be able to provide insights on daily consumption limits of tea in order to avoid too much intake of toxic elements,” says Guo.

[Editor’s Note: Tea Biz will follow up once the research is published]

Reversal Forces New Lockdowns

After flattening the COVID curve in April and May it began sloping upward in June in the U.S. while Europe continued to suppress spread of the coronavirus. July has since become the worst month on record for COVID spread with 1.9 million new infections and 1,000 deaths per day, bringing the U.S. total to 4.5 million who have tested positive. The virus is now present in populations young and old in every state with infections rising in more than half the U.S. states. Globally there are more than 18 million cases with deaths approaching 700,000. About 6% of those who have tested positive perished. On a hopeful note, 94% (11 million) have recovered. The U.S. continues to lead country totals but Brazil (2.7 million) and India (1.8 million) are hot spots. The UK, Spain, Peru and Chile experienced death rates greater than 500 per 1 million population. More than 250,000 have died with a high of 6,900 per day in April that dipped for about a month before moving seven-day average of 5,600 globally in July.

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August 2, 2020

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Dan Bolton

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Market

Consumer Behaviour, Trends

Retail Rebounds
Tea Industry News for the Week of June 15
- Retail is Rebounding
- Breakfast: Deflated Daypart
- Reopening: Millennials Lead the Way
- E-commerce Sales of Specialty Tea Spike
- India Extends Lockdown | Exports Declined in 2019
US retail sales rebounded sharply in May, according to preliminary figures released by the US Census Bureau. Total retail and food services sales amounted to $485.5 billion in May, up 17.7% from the previous month, but still 6.1% below last year’s May figure.

Retail Rebounds

Tea wholesalers report foodservice customers are once again placing orders. Iced tea, a seasonal favorite, is in demand. Online sales that spiked amid the lockdown remain at higher levels than the first of the year.

The sales slump that began in March is easing. Still, inventory packaged for foodservice customers remains high and, unlike pent up demand for fashion, household furnishings, and other non-essential products, the food and beverage category is regaining traction slowly, in fits and starts.

Food sales did not decline during the scariest months of the pandemic ? everyone must eat. Grocery sales grew 33% overall, leading all traditional channels in dollar sales growth, with the food and beverage category up 32.5% compared to the previous year, according to IRI, a Chicago based market research firm. The purchase of food online increased by 49.7%. The question now is how soon consumers will begin dining-in, re-inflating the $181 billion on-site beverage category that includes tea.

Market research shared by Datassential indicates millennials are leading the way back to dining-in at restaurants but the majority prefer drive-thru and curbside pickup, and contactless delivery.

Datassential managing director Jack Li told webinar participants that consumer fears are abating. “Coronavirus concern is way down from its peak, closer to early-pandemic levels,” he said. In April at the height of lockdowns, infections, and COVID-19 deaths, 67% of consumers said they were “very concerned,” about dining-in and 28% were “somewhat concerned.” By mid-June, the combined 95% who earlier said that they were concerned had declined to 86%, but with 44% still “very concerned.”

How this fear translates into behavior is critical to the tea industry. Beverages generate about 20% of restaurant sales but constitute far less of the transaction price when consumers place orders for curbside pickup, takeaway, or delivery. When ordering food to eat at home, consumers raid the fridge for their favorites. Beverages maintain their important slice of the transaction when customers order takeaway for office breaks and visit drive-thrus when food is consumed in the car.

Datassential found that avoidance of dining-in is inching down, but slowly. As restaurants began opening their dining rooms in May and early June only 22% of consumers said they have “no concerns whatsoever” about dining out. Almost half, 47% say they will “definitely avoid eating out,” a total that has increased 2% since June 5. Another 31% say they are “nervous but will still eat out.” Boomers, at 59%, are the most fearful. Those in the Gen Z cohort are the least fearful, with only 34% saying they will “definitely avoid” eating out. Datassential, in a survey conducted on June 9, found that 42% of Millennials will also “definitely avoid” eating out.

For now, health concerns remain the top priority, writes Li, “but economic worries have been rising” with 46% of the nation more concerned about the economic crisis (up 1% since June 3 and up 9% since April 7) compared to 54% of the 4,000 adults surveyed who say they are more concerned about the public-health crisis.

Breakfast: Deflated Daypart

Morning meals and snacks suffered the steepest transaction declines during the coronavirus crisis, according to The NPD Group. Millions of at-home workers agree on one thing: no one misses early-morning commutes enough to jump in the car and wait in line for breakfast.

The number of transactions at breakfast locations was down 18% the week of June 7 compared to the same period last year, according to Restaurant Dive. Lunch transactions declined by 11%, and customer transactions fell 12% at dinner during that same period, according to The NPD Group.

FSR Magazine reports that Revenue Management Solutions, using insights based on point-of-sale data, estimates total US breakfast traffic year-over-year slipped between negative 30–35%. Traffic has since leveled out around negative 15%. According to Datassential, customers’ trips to restaurants break down as follows:

Traffic by Daypart

Breakfast/Brunch 6%
Lunch 26%
Dinner 64%
Snack 3%
Late Night 1%
Source: Datassential

The reversal is dramatic as breakfast is the only restaurant daypart that has experienced sustained growth in visits during the past few years. In January and February with the nation at full employment, hundreds of thousands of workers visited quick-service chains every day, accounting for a 5% category growth during the past five years.

In a January press release, NPD reported Americans consumed 102 billion breakfasts and another 50 billion morning snacks in 2019. “The future of breakfast looks rosy too with forecast growth of breakfast goods,” according to the market researcher firm which published its “Future of Morning” study prior to the pandemic.

Sending two-thirds of the nations’ workers home dimmed that optimism in record time. Breakfast was the easiest meal to convert at home and suffered the steepest transaction declines as McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Dunkin’, and Burger King saw comp sales slump during March, April, and May. Wendy’s, which spent significant marketing dollars promoting breakfast, reported same-store sales finally turned positive the last week of May.

Breakfast is an important hot tea occasion. Gallup has monitored employee preferences on working at home for several weeks, asking workers, “if your employer left it up to you, would you prefer to return to working at your office as much as you previously did, or, work remotely a much as possible.”

No one knows the full impact of stay-at-home orders on buying behavior, but it’s clear that if half of the office workers no longer commute daily to offices on a fixed schedule, the morning routine will be altered for the duration of the pandemic — and likely forever.

Millennials Lead the Way

A majority of Millennials (60%) reduced their spending during the early months of the pandemic, according to a survey by Clutch, a B2B ratings and review platform.

Recession-wary after 2009, they contributed to an unprecedented US savings rate of 33% in April. Only 5% of Millennials reported spending more money than the previous month during March and April.

Food was the exception. Groceries were the top expense for 40% of Millennials, reports Clutch. Half the Millennials surveyed reported spending less dining out, but 50% say they are still eating takeout and ordering delivery. Only 28% have not used food pickup and delivery options since the start of the pandemic reports Clutch.

E-Commerce Sales Surge

The most popular product category purchased online last month was restaurant delivery or takeaway, boosted by a surge in restaurants offering curbside service.

E-commerce sales of food or beverages by American adults increased from 27% in February to 36% in April, according to Bizrate Insights.

The number of customers ordering food online is even higher among frequent internet users (61.5%), according to a consumer survey by Red Points on the “Impact of COVID-19 on Ecommerce Sales.”

In April, 44% of Amazon Prime members ordered food or beverages.

Mo Sardella, marketing director at GS Haly, told Forbes that online sales of specialty tea and herbs spiked during the early days of the pandemic.

“We have seen a huge spike in home tea consumption via grocery and online outlets. Our customers with a well-established online presence are doing exceedingly well,” says Sardella, adding that “customers saw between a 100% to 300% increase in online sales in April alone.”

Lockdowns Wind Down

Sixty-nine percent of restaurant units are located in geographies that permit some level of on-premise dining, and the number should increase to 74% in the week ending June 14, according to The NPD Group. At the height of the pandemic, only 25% were operating. Transactions at full-service restaurants were down 14% the week of June 7 versus a year ago, a 29% gain since April 12.

Quick service restaurants fared better during the pandemic “and continue to do so,” according to NPD. QSR transactions are down 13% the week of June 7, compared to the same period in 2019.

Now that restrictions are easing Millennials and Gen Zers, are eager to eat out for the social benefits and convenience. Datassential reports that 82% of Americans say they know which precautions to take and how to stay safe from COVID exposure, and 60% say “COVID safety precautions have become second nature.”

“Diners are excited to eat in at restaurants again, understand the importance of new precautions, and are willing to make the necessary sacrifices. Yet they’ll also be the first to tell you that seeing servers in masks and needing to comply with social distancing measures do not exactly allow them a complete mental escape,” writes Datassential’s Jack Li.

Tea Yields and Exports Decline

Local shortages of Assam tea for auction has increased prices 15% compared to last year. Growers there lost three weeks of harvest beginning in late March. Plucking was to resume April 12, but by then tea plants required maintenance pruning. Gardens that opened were restricted in how many workers they employ. The combination of these events will result in at least 140 million fewer kilos of tea and may discourage exports.

Meanwhile lockdowns that were previously lifted will be extended in the West Bengal tea lands as the coronavirus continues to threaten India. Rajiv Lochan, the founder of Lochan Tea, shared a local newspaper clipping describing a surge in cases in Siliguri, a center of tea commerce at the foot of the Himalayas.

Tea exports dipped 5.6% in the financial year ending March 31, known as AY 2019-20. The new AY 2020-21 began April 1. Volume fell to 240 million kilos from the 245.5 million kilos exported in AY 2018-19. Russia and the surrounding CIS countries remain the most significant tea trading partners, importing 47 million kilos in 2019-20. Iran emerged as second due to a sharp decline from 15 million kilos to 3 million kilos exported to Pakistan due to hostilities between the two countries.

Exporters told The Economic Times they are concerned Iran will purchase much less tea than last year due to deteriorating economic conditions in that country. Iran bought 54 million kilos of tea from India in 2019. Exporters say that volume could decline to 45 million kilos. Russia is also experiencing a sustained economic decline.

China will overtake the US as the largest retail market in 2020. Despite a 4% decline this year in retail sales, China’s retail market is expected to rise to over $5 trillion in sales, while the US is expected to reach $4.8 trillion by the end of the year.

Postponed Chinese New Year purchases will drive this latest rise in consumer spending. Luxury items have been selling well since China eased restrictions. China’s unemployment is much lower than the US, which saw 1.5 million workers file for benefits in June, bringing the total to 21.5 million out of work.

Source: CCInsight COVID-19 Commerce Summary (June 15)
June 23, 2020

•

Dan Bolton

•

News

Need To Know, Trends
Need to Know | Boba Delivery
Tea industry news for the week of May 18.
- Boba Tea Tops Beverage Delivery Lists
- East Africa Update
- Turkish Tea Harvest
- Robotic Waitstaff Serves Tea
- Nepal Asks India to Resume Tea Imports
Boba Tea Tops Unique Food Orders

In March YELP! marketers decided to find out what food and beverages people across the country were being delivered right now! Data scientists tracked how frequently a dish is ordered in each state relative to its popularity in other states.

“When we first looked at the results, pizza delivery reigned supreme, which is no surprise since it delivers well and it’s perfect for a family night in. However, we dug into the data to find the most uniquely popular delivery order in every state*, and that’s when things got interesting,” writes YELP!

Winners include a run on crayfish in Texas, poke bowls in Indiana, pad thai in Washington, sushi in South Carolina and naan in Wyoming but guess what topped the list of delivery orders in California last week? How about Michigan? and Hawaii?

Boba tea.

“What we found was a mix of delectable dishes and drinks that tell a story of how American taste buds differ from state to state and region to region,” according to the company.

Click here to see the full list.

*Samuel Hansen at Yelp! employed a natural language processing technique called term frequency-inverse document frequency (TF-IDF), which quantifies how frequently a dish is ordered in a state relative to its popularity in other states.

East Africa Update

Rwanda’s tea sector, largely spared from lockdowns, saw a marked increase in production during the first quarter. The harvest totaled 9,000 metric tons generating $27.6 million in revenue, which is up by 15% from the same period in 2019.

But there are still formidable challenges getting that tea to market.

East African tea growers truck tea destined for export to the auction at Mombasa. Kenya’s borders remain open during the coronavirus pandemic, but Tanzania and Kenya required each driver be tested before crossing.

The result offers a lesson in what can go wrong. A shortage of testing supplies and the sheer number of truckers led to delays that extended from hours, to days, to weeks. Few of those who were tested showed symptoms and none were quarantined while they awaited results. Unable to afford hotel rooms they slept in or under their trucks, cooked together and played sports to kill time. Some wore masks but many did not and very few practiced social distancing. During the two weeks ending last week 150 truckers crossing into Kenya at Namanga tested positive and were eventually ordered back across the border but by then they had infected hundreds of local merchants and fellow truck drivers.

The Washington Post reports that beginning this week, only drivers that have tested negative prior to arrival at the border will be permitted to cross. Uganda has since discovered dozens of infected truck drivers crossing from Kenya. Zambia closed its border to Tanzanian truckers. Kenya is the largest tea producer in the region at approximately 500 million kilograms followed by Uganda which harvests 60 million kilos annually; Tanzania at 35 million, Rwanda at 30 million and Burundi at 9 million kilos per year.

At the Mombasa auction Rwanda growers earned an average $2.68 per kilogram of tea last year, followed by Kenya growers who received an average $2.59, Burundi at $2.21 per kilo, Tanzania $1.36, and Uganda $1.21. The overall average price was $2 per kilo.

Kenya currently has 1,214 confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. There have been 51 deaths. Tanzania is reported to have 509 confirmed cases with 21 deaths. Rwanda has 327 confirmed cases with no deaths reported as of the second week of May.

Holiday Travel Restrictions Eased for Turkish Tea Growers

Climate dictates that Turkish tea be harvested in three flushes, unlike Africa, Sri Lanka, and Southern India where plucking continues year-round. Tea is grown there on sparsely populate hills facing the Black Sea where growers depend on seasonal labor.

This year’s spring flush was interrupted by a March 28 lockdown to prevent spread of the coronavirus. Fatma Genc, a researcher at Istanbul’s Marmara University, told The National, that 50,000 tea farmers were unable to prepare their fields for the harvest. Ramadan, which began April 23, complicated timing for Muslims.

“The failure to harvest this year will make it difficult to meet even domestic demand,” said Genc told the newspaper. “Tea prices, which have been hiked twice in a row this year, will increase even more if the producers cannot go to the field.”

This week farm owners and laborers from across the country were finally able to travel to northern Turkey on trips extending through the three-day Eid al-Fitr festival that follows the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Seasonal labor from neighboring Georgia and Azerbaijan continue to face border restrictions leading to some creative solutions. The city of Findikli in Rize hired locals to harvest around half of the 30,000 metric tons produced nearby in an agreement that spans six months. Workers harvest for 10 days and while the leaves for the next flush are growing they complete municipal projects.

In Rize Province, the heart of the growing region, 16,000 laborers were given permission to travel between fields and home. The Provincial General Hygiene Council required testing at least one member of each family, about 6,000 in all. Screenings continue.

The provinces of Rize, Trabzon, Artvin and Giresun produce around 260,000 metric tons of tea annually, most of it sold domestically. Turks consume an average 3.5 kilos of tea a year, more than any other country. While much of the tea is imported, a significant shortfall is expected due to rising costs and the fact that much of the domestic tea went unpicked. Caykur, the state-owned producer that supplies 60% of the country’s tea is running a deficit and facing additional costs due to the pandemic. Caykur purchases tea from 200,000 independent farmers.

Turkey has 157,814 confirmed COVID-19 cases with 4,369 deaths, making it ninth on the list of countries most impacted by the pandemic, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

Tea garden in Turkey’s Rize Province, along the Black Sea.

Robotic Waitstaff Serves Tea

Tearoom Robot Reduces Contact with Waitstaff Easing Customer Concerns

The Tea Terrace, a small London-based chain of tea rooms that was forced to close during the March outbreak intends to open this July with the assistance of family-friendly robots.

Forbes magazine reports that managing director Ehab Shouly found while surveying customers that fear of crowding and contamination by waitstaff were their greatest concerns. Spacing tables was a relatively simple adjustment but a previous experiment with automated service at the company’s Surrey tearoom proved prescient. Last July The Tea Terrace became the first restaurant in the UK and Europe to introduce a robotic waitress, named Theresa.

Theresa is summoned by guests using controls at the table. The robot responds to voice commands. Shouly has also introduced functional assistants such as Captain Tom, a bot that delivers up to four trays each with teapot, teaware, and food.

Modifications are underway to expand robotic services to all four tearooms which serve 200 to 300 guests per day on weekends.
Nepal Asks India to Resume Imports

Tea growers in Nepal are seeking the resumption of exports to India, according to Nepal’s Ministry of Commerce and Supplies.

India stopped importing tea the week of May 6 and has not responded to Nepali officials. Periodically India has shown its displeasure with Nepal by refusing entry of tea and other exports such as palm oil.

Purna Kumar Karki, president of Jhapa Tea Entrepreneurs Association, told My Republica that Indian authorities impose non-tariff barriers on Nepali products from time to time “for no reason.”

Sanjay Bansal, chairman of the Darjeeling Tea Association (DTA), recently appealed to West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha to regulate the sale of Nepal tea to save the Darjeeling Tea Industry. Darjeeling growers maintain that Nepal undercuts their unique tea which is protected with a global Geographical Indication certifying its authenticity.

Bansal told The Statesman Nepal did not impose a lockdown and growers there have been producing at a high rate since February. “These teas are ready and are in the process of being shipped to India through the Indo-Nepal land borders in West Bengal to be sold in the local markets by taking advantage of the absence of Darjeeling Tea in the market due to the lockdown restrictions,” said Bansal.

In a related matter, Federation of Chambers of Commerce & Industry, North Bengal (FOCIN), has requested Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to allow small wholesale and retail shop owners to open their establishments.
May 25, 2020

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Dan Bolton

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Market

Bubble Tea, Need To Know, Retail, Trends
Capsule Tea Makes Big Gains — Need to Know
What tea professionals need to start the week of Sept. 22, 2014 —

North American Tea Conference trends and impressions… Tony Gebely leaves Chicago to fly with an extraordinary Phoenix in San Francisco… IRI Worldwide data indicates capsule tea is making big gains.

Troubling Tea Trends

The North American Tea Conference annually brings together industry executives, growers, government officials from producing countries, marketers and suppliers, making it a good occasion to discern trends and concerns among those who view the US and Canadian market with interest.

Traditionally the ones watching the market most closely are Indian, African and Chinese tea industry representatives, all of whom report increased sales to North American wholesalers and, in some instances, increasing sales from retailers buying direct from growers large and small.

I filled a notebook attending three days of sessions that range from food service trends to discussions on global supply and tea and health to advice on attracting millennials to tea.

That’s too much to cover in one post. I’ll elaborate on several trends in the days ahead but here are three topics to get the conversation started.

Production

Dr. Norman Kelly, the newly named chairman of the International Tea Committee in London, was attending for the first time. He replaces Sir Michael Bunston who served many years leading the ITC, which operates as the industry’s statistician. Tea at one level is a game of numbers.

Kelly shared two important observations. One can point with enthusiasm to the charts detailing tea production increases of the past 30 years. Supply is clearly anticipating increased demand and while some new acreage is under tea, most of the gains are through improved agricultural practices. There is much work ahead extending these practices to the smallholders who produce most of the world’s tea, but the largest tea gardens are models of efficiency, making greater use of mechanized harvesting equipment (35% of the total harvest); introducing new cultivars to resist drought and pests and innovative techniques such as Integrated Pest Management (IPM) adapted to the diverse regions in which tea is grown.

China is particular has put its foot on the accelerator at 1,924 million metric tons, most of which is consumed domestically. India reached 1,200 million kilos and Kenya reported 432 million kilos of processed tea last year. Combined production by these three tops all others tracked by ITC.

What is quite extraordinary is that racing as hard as they are at turning out more tea, both China and India are just keeping up with internal demand “leaving less and less for export,” said Kelly.

Source: International Tea Committee

Production remains ahead of demand but “supply might tighten and it is not beyond the possibility of exceeding supply,” he said. Note in the chart above that only 38% of the tea produced is available for export, down from 47% available in 2004. Per capita tea consumption is rising in both China and India and Kenya is making greater efforts to interest domestic tea drinkers.

Pricing

Pricing is closely tied to production and Richard Darlington, managing director of AVT in London, pointed out that the abundance of land and desire to produce additional quantities will keep China in the lead globally despite the fact that “practically all the new tea is consumed internally.”

Richard Darlington

It seems remarkable, but it’s true – 90% of the new tea produced is consumed by the countries in which it is grown, according to Darlington. Classic economics suggests an abundance of tea will lead to soft prices and while that is true in some markets, much of the world’s tea is selling at a premium.

There is “a paucity of good tea – hence prices are high” while “there is too much medium and low tea around – hence prices coming down,” Darlington explains.

He predicted consumption increases will continue to come from established tea producing countries.

On the topic of production inputs, costs are rising and government support “is vital to the sustainability of tea in many producing countries,” said Darlington.

The situation in Sri Lanka is noteworthy as it illustrates the extreme.

Colombo auction prices are very high and have risen entirely due to a supply squeeze, said Darlington. “The crop has not kept ahead of very strong demand for orthodox tea at a time when India is cutting back on orthodox tea production,” he said.

“The cost of production in Sri Lanka has risen from $1.35 per kilo in 2005 to $3.10 per kilo on 2013,” he said. Government privatization grants are depleted and “investment in new tea areas is prohibitively high. Producers are reluctant to take the risk,” he said. A recent study for the Sri Lanka Tea Board predicted producers will need to get “$14 per kilo to sustain their businesses!!”

Source: International Tea Committee

Darlington’s country-by-country assessment was insightful and not altogether bleak. There is oversupply in Africa and falling yields in Turkey, competition from alternate crops in Indonesia and a drought in Vietnam that will influence local markets.

Averaging all tea sold at all the global auctions shows prices falling slightly from last year’s all-tea, all-auction average of $2.60 per kilo. Kelly’s ITC data indicates a $2.46 per kilo average for 2014 year-to-date.

In general supply exceeds demand and trends negatively impacting pricing will probably continue for some time, said Darlington.

Pesticides

Pesticide use, the challenges of reconciling conflicting and inconsistent global regulations and a growing unease with public disclosure of pesticide residues by groups like Greenpeace was the topic of the week. After-hours and during presentations open to the press, pesticides generated few impassioned debates. I placed it third in my reporting because production and pricing have a much greater day-to-day influence on the industry.

A talk by public relations expert Louise Pollock, who has advised the Tea Association of the USA for 20 years, included a slide or two on crisis management as she discussed marketing the health attributes of tea; the Eurofins presentation hinted at worry that a beverage touted for its health benefits could be tainted by pesticide residues is justified, but media attention and public concern is a long way from crisis levels.

The Tea Association of the USA was concerned enough to host a 1-1/2 day presentation on the topic following the conference.

No reporters were permitted to attend these sessions out of concern that delegates would not speak freely if their comments were made public. As a result I can only write about the events that I witnessed, but I listened to a lot of after-hours conversation and I have covered this topic for more than a dozen years.

Consider this the first in several installments intended to identify challenges and weigh solutions — not frighten the public into foregoing tea.

Tea is an agricultural crop and there is not a crop consumed in which the corresponding industry has not been faced with the task of explaining why various chemicals are necessary to cultivate and process these foods. Perhaps more importantly, the public increasingly demands to know which of these chemicals are necessary and why. The new generation of label readers is a far more formidable audience to appease. Straight talk, transparency and thoughtful explanations of its proven medical benefits will protect the reputation tea justly deserves.

There are no reported instances of people being harmed by tea, Peter Goggi reminded delegates. The discussion of pesticide residues is largely centered on bureaucratic procedure, conflicting regulations and the differing rules of various certifying bodies.

It has never been clear to me why apples were singled out when pears, grapes and other fruit tested high in Alar residue, but 25 years ago the disclosure of Alar (Daminozide) in apple juice practically destroyed the apple business. Alar had been approved for use since 1963 but growing evidence of its carcinogenic links led the EPA to propose a ban and the manufacturer withdrew the pesticide from the market.

Public outcry cost apple growers an estimated $100 million according to a lawsuit following a CBS News broadcast on the program 60 Minutes. There is no question Alar was a financial boon to the apple industry. Application improved fruit-set maturity, fruit firmness and coloring, reduced pre-harvest drop and improved market quality of fruit at harvest and during storage, but the threat to human health was too great. Eventually it was proven to be a carcinogen in humans but at a very high ingestion level. It would require drinking 5,000 gallons of apple juice per day to equal the dose that produced tumors in mice. The lifetime cancer risk was set at 5 per million for humans. Generally EPA considers lifetime cancer risks actionable at 1 per million.

Apples once again topped the list of the most pesticide-contaminated produce this year, the fourth in a row. The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a Washington DC based non-profit, annually publishes the “Dirty Dozen” list of produce and a corresponding list of “Clean 15” fruits and vegetables. The residues are from different chemicals, but the fact remains that chemical applications remain important in protecting this crop.

Tea makes neither list because it is not one of the 48 most popular produce products tested annually by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. USDA conducts an analysis of 32,000 samples.

This is not to suggest government regulators should ignore the obvious lapses in enforcement. In the Greenpeace report on Indian tea, 78% of the samples showed DDT residue, a pesticide long ago banned for use on food.

The tea industry tests far more samples and routinely discards leaf that exceeds Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) established by importing countries. China learned the hard way when European Union buyers found they could not land thousands of containers of tea, at great financial loss. EU inspectors adhere to tough maximums. Unfortunately these differ widely by country making it possible for growers in places like Vietnam to find a market for tea that could not pass inspection in Japan, the US or EU. Uniform MRLs is an important global initiative.

One of the key presentations during the conference was by Christine McIntosh of Eurofins Scientific, a company that analyzes food products for safety and compliance with a range of import regulations.

There are now 450 pesticides, a number so large that it is not financially practical to test for all. Given that many are exotic, a short list might suffice, but neither the US or Canada established MRLs for many of the common pesticides used in tea. This is because regulatory bodies in both countries give priority to pesticides used within their boundaries. Since little tea is grown by either nation, establishing MRLs for these pesticides is not a priority (or likely to suddenly become a priority). Until they are researched and listed, the US assigns a 1 part per billion “default” threshold.

As a result, McIntosh listed 26 pesticides commonly found in tea for which no MRLs exist. In each instance the European Union has tested these products and determined a maximum residue level. In many cases this threshold of safety is well above the 1ppb default used by the US.

McIntosh offered some constructive suggestions beginning with a database of global pesticide suppliers. This will help identify firms engaged in producing suspect chemicals. Reputable firms should have no concerns as they are regulated in the countries in which they operate.

Evaluate risk within the country of origin/use that takes into consideration combinations of pesticides used by farmers and impact on nearby crops.
- Consider regulations (many countries either do not have or do not enforce regulations)
- Establish specifications/acceptable limits (maximum safe residues clearly establish whether illegal, non-approved and unsafe combinations of pesticides are present)
- Implement routine testing programs universally with extensive baseline testing at the onset and less rigorous examination as these chemicals are proven safe)
- View trends over time
- Maintain a monitoring program
Next week I’ll go into greater depth using India’s new Plant Protection Formulations (PPF) rules and the Plant Protection Code (adopted but with enforcement postponed until January 2015).

Gebely Joins David Lee Hoffman

Tony Gebely, a social media favorite in the tea community; promising author and successful online retailer has joined Pu-erh expert David Lee Hoffman, founder of the The Phoenix Collection.

Tony Gebely

Gebely, the founder of Chicago Tea Garden, has 10 years of digital marketing and web development experience as well as a cornucopia of tea knowledge. He will work alongside Hoffman and his assistant Jeannie Freudenberger to first learn all aspects of the business including sourcing, fulfillment, tea tastings, and marketing.

“I am excited to have Tony join our team as he brings to the table the skills necessary to bring tea to the next generation” said Hoffman, “and he aligns well with the philosophy that I began my tea venture with a quarter of a century ago.”

“I’m excited to work side-by-side with such an esteemed pioneer in the American tea industry. David simply has the best Chinese teas and I could not be more proud to work with him to bring them to the burgeoning tea market” said Gebely.

The Phoenix Collection is a wholesale tea company founded in 2009. Hoffman, who has been called the “The Indiana Jones of Tea,” owned and operated Silk Road Teas which he started in 1990. He sold the business in 2004 but retained his vast inventory of Pu-erh teas which are now offered through The Phoenix Collection. Hoffman was also the subject of a feature-length documentary All In This Tea by Les Blank and Gina Leibrecht. Hoffman has shared his discoveries and techniques online and in YouTube videos with some success. Look for Gebely to supercharge the company’s online presence.

Gebely and his new bride Katie just moved to the Bay Area. His new book is due next year.

To learn more visit: www.thephoenixcollection.com.

Tea Sales in K-Cups

Every single single-cup manufacturer I spoke to at the North American Tea Conference confirmed that sales of tea in both licensed K-Cups and compatible non-licensed capsules are booming. As noted in last week’s post, Package Facts estimates capsules will account for 10% of sales in the bagged/loose category. Paul Higgins, Jr. at Higgins & Burke, Ron Sadler at Twinings North America, Harney & Sons, RC Bigelow, Keith Hutjens, the tea sourcing director at Starbucks and Jeff Allard, director of product development at Snapple, all praised the format as an opportunity for innovation and a means of enticing new tea drinkers.

IRI Worldwide, a market research firm based in Chicago (www.iriworldwide.com), tallies sales in major retail channels such as drug stores, grocery and department stores like Target, Wal-Mart and Bed, Bath & Beyond. During the 52 weeks ending July 13, sales of loose leaf and bagged tea were up 6.2% in grocery stores to $818 million. Drug stores showed a 13.6% gain to $25 million and multi-outlet chain locations reported an amazing $1.3 billion in tea sales, up 7%. A decade ago grocery stores and supermarkets were the dominate sales channel. Very little tea was sold in drug stores. IRI does not break out sales by format so it is not possible to identify precisely how much of these category gains are from K-Cup sales, but it seems likely that most of the bump in multi-channel and drug is from capsule sales, typically big brands. Another clue is that the big jump in sales occurred after Lipton, Twinings, Celestial Seasonings, Snapple and Bigelow began selling K-Cups. Several report earning more than $20 million annually in K-Cup sales. Another indication: sales of instant tea (typically in jars) is plummeting. In drug stores category sales fell 31%; in multi-outlet stores sales of instant tea are down 9.3% and in drug stores sales of instant are down 8.9%.

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Tea Biz serves a core audience of beverage professionals in the belief that insightful journalism informs business decision-making. Tea Biz reports what matters along the entire supply chain, emphasizing trustworthy sources and sound market research while discarding fluff and ignoring puffery.

Tea Biz posts are available to use in your company newsletter or website. Purchase reprint and distribution rights for single articles or commission original content. Click here for details.
September 22, 2014

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Dan Bolton

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Uncategorized

Need To Know, Trends
Tea Beverages are Bubbling — Need to Know

What tea professionals need to start the week of July 7, 2014 —

Market researcher Technomic reports Beverages are Bubbling …Korea signs a trade agreement recognizing organic “equivalency” with USDA… Political outcry accompanies word of starvation deaths on India’s abandoned tea estates but no solutions are advanced…Suja Juice launches the first biodynamic, cold brewed, organic, non-GMO, cold-pressure teas…India’s May tea production tallies are down 12% following a 25% decline in April.

Bubbling Beverages

Chicago-based food service market research firm Technomic’s mid-year survey of menus identified six trends including this assessment of specialty teas.

Beverages Bubbling Up: Specialty teas; lemonade-and-iced-tea blends; restaurant originals such as housemade sodas; smoothies beyond fruit, featuring surprising ingredients ranging from kale or peanut butter – all are seeing increases in menu incidence. Fast casuals lead the way: Pret A Manger added Beet Beautiful Juice with apple, carrot, beet and ginger; Grand Traverse Pie Company unveiled a Pie Smoothie; and Panda Express is testing an in-store tea bar. When it comes to adult beverage trends, hops rule; IPAs and other hoppy craft beers are proliferating in many incarnations.

Also making the list:

Shrinking menus (selections trimmed at casual dining chains)
The next sriracha (hotter peppers, spicy mayo, aoili)
Asian-style small plates (dim sum style)
Brand name novelty snacks (Girl Scout Cookie cupcakes, Fritos Chicken Enchilada Melt)
Barbecue Love (authentic regional interpretations)

Learn more: Technomic Digital Resource Library

Organic Equivalency

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) last week welcomed a new organic equivalency arrangement between the United States and Korea, saying it reopens a critically important Asian market for U.S. organic processed food products, and will create jobs and opportunity for the American organic food and farming sector.

“We extend our thanks and congratulations to the officials at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative for their success after a year of rigorous negotiations,” said Laura Batcha, CEO and Executive Director of OTA. “OTA and the U.S. organic industry have worked diligently to help make this happen. This new pact streamlines the trade of organic processed food products between the two countries while still upholding the highest standards of organic oversight. It’s a win for the organic sectors and for the consumers of both nations.”

Estimates are that under the new streamlined trading system made possible by this arrangement, American exports of organic processed foods and beverages to Korea, which were valued at around $35 million in 2013, will more than double over the next five years.

The U.S.-Korea equivalency arrangement was formalized on June 30.

Korea is the fifth-largest foreign market for U.S. agricultural products. The organic equivalency pact is in addition to the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement signed in March 2012.

Source: Organic Trade Association, USDA’s NOP website.

Suja Biodynamic Teas

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Suja Juice Co. has launch of its first line of cold-brewed, organic, non-GMO Project Verified and cold-pressured teas. The four new tea flavors, Chunmee Tropical, Honeybush Peach, Jasmine Pomegranate and Unsweetened Biodynamic Black are available exclusively at Whole Foods Markets nationwide as a part of the Suja Elements™ organic, non-GMO, cold-pressured line.

The Unsweetened Biodynamic Black flavor is Whole Foods Market’s first Demeter Certified Biodynamic® ready-to-drink tea. As with all other Suja Elements flavors, 20 cents from each bottle of Suja Elements tea sold will be donated to select charities as part of the Suja Elements Cause Collective™.

The line was co-developed with Whole Foods Markets. Retail price is $3.99 per 12 ounce bottle. In April 2014, out of its thousands of national suppliers, Whole Foods Market named Suja its “Non-Perishable Supplier of the Year” for outstanding performance, expertise in the industry, commitment ethical sourcing and partnership in product development.

Source: Suja Juice Co.

Assembly Outcry Follows Starvation Revelations

Reports of starvation deaths on abandoned tea gardens enraged members of the Assembly and led India’s press to shine a light on conditions in gardens in Darjeeling the Dooars and Terai.

The Times of India conducted an investigation detailing the plight of workers on several gardens, reporting widespread malnutrition, disease and 14 starvation deaths at Bundapani Tea Estate with 10 at Dheklapara Tea Estate. Both gardens are in Alipurduar.

Many tea workers on these estates have attained the age of retirement and have nowhere to go as their pensions are held up after companies closed the gardens, reports the Times. “The younger people receive INRs1,500 per month under the FAWLOI (Financial Assistance for Workers of Locked Out Industrial Units) scheme. When I went to register, I was told that I am not eligible as I have crossed the age of 58. What about my years of service that were left when the garden shut down? How am I supposed to take care of my family?” tea worker Ram Tanti at Dheklapara told the newspaper. The garden has been closed 14 years.

The revelations caused political outcry. In the Assembly Opposition Leader Surjya Kanta Mishr, with the Left Front, said that 120 starvation deaths on tea gardens have been reported to the state in the past three years. Twenty gardens have closed during the Trinamool Congress, he said.

Food Minister Jyotipriya Mullick said the deaths had nothing to do with starvation, according to reports in The Hindu. Workers continue to receive allotments of kerosene, rice and 125 grams of sugar per person, he said.

Dr. Mishra countered that the rice is unfit to eat. He led a walkout of Left Front MLA’s who protested, holding up posters asking “why will the workers of tea gardens die of starvation”

“The deaths in tea gardens used to occur in the past. The situation has changed now but more change is required,” said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chaterjee. He said the situation in the tea gardens had worsened during the 34 years of the Left Front government and they had no right to talk on the issue.

Mullick has assigned three food inspectors to visit the gardens in North Bengal and make weekly reports.

Under the Tea Act, the Tea Board of India can assign new owners to any estate that has failed for a period of three months. However, new owners face difficult challenges repairing gardens abandoned since the 1990s. Litigation complicates financing, factories require extensive repair, the most skilled workers have departed and untended bushes are costly to replace and will not produce acceptable tea for three or more years.

Tea Association of India Secretary General PK Bhattacharya told the Times that most gardens cannot reopen without a concerted effort from state and federal governments.

As many as 30,000 workers remain in housing on 23 gardens abandoned in the past several years.

Sources: The Hindu, The Times of India

Tea Production Down

KOLKATA, India – India’s unusually dry weather led to a 12% drop in tea production in May, according to the Tea Board.

Production in May fell to 91.4 million kilos, down from 103.7 million kilos in 2013. April production was down 25% compared to the previous year.

The total shortfall for the country is -8.5% for the period January through May, which includes the entire first flush harvest and much of the second flush.

The India Tea Association reports Assam gardens received 55% less rainfall than normal; Darjeeling received 60% less rain than normal and rainfall totals in the Dooars and Terai were down 40-60%. These conditions make it unlikely that India will match last year’s record output. Because domestic demand for tea continues to grow, the shortfall may hamper suppliers’ ability to maintain quality and meet export commitments.

Source: Tea Board of India

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Tea Biz serves a core audience of beverage professionals in the belief that insightful journalism informs business decision-making. Tea Biz reports what matters along the entire supply chain, emphasizing trustworthy sources and sound market research while discarding fluff and ignoring puffery.

Tea Biz posts are available to use in your company newsletter or website. Purchase reprint and distribution rights for single articles or commission original content. Click here for details.

July 7, 2014

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Dan Bolton

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Uncategorized

Need To Know, Retail, Trends