Tea began as a medicine and grew into a beverage. However, tea is more than just a beverage. It is a package of inherently healthful ingredients for the body and mind, according to tea experts.
Tea and health have always been inextricably linked after its legendary discovery by the father of agriculture and medicine, Chinese Emperor Shen Nung, about 5,000 years ago.
Originally, tea was regarded as a medicinal curiosity and subsequently gained status as a social beverage. Tea is considered one of the healthiest beverages. Like any other plant material, tea also contains antioxidant flavonoids. Research has shown that antioxidants could reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer.
Recent research has shown that antioxidants may protect against Alzheimer’s and other age-related memory impairments. Both green tea and black tea have similar antioxidant capacities, which are substantially higher than that of fruit and vegetables. Go to any corner of the world and Sri Lanka figures as one of the major countries for tea.
In fact, the Sri Lankan tea is the most sought after in the Middle East and Asia and some other regions of the world. Tea is Sri Lanka’s main agricultural export commodity and accounts for about 15 percent of the total export earnings of the country. It is the second largest foreign exchange earner of the island.
The name of the island was changed from Ceylon to Sri Lanka when the country became a Socialist Democratic Republic in 1972, but the name ‘Ceylon Tea’ was retained for its tea since Ceylon Tea has become a quality brand name. The Sri Lanka Tea Board, apex government body responsible for development and promotion of Ceylon Tea, has taken many steps to ensure that all teas produced and exported from Sri Lanka adhere to the minimum quality standards of ISO 3720.
Ceylon Tea has been recognized as the cleanest tea in the world in terms of pesticide residues by the International Standards Organization. Currently many Sri Lankan Tea Manufacturers and exporters have obtained ISO, HACCP and other international certifications to be ahead of others. Fair trade, ethical tea partnership and good manufacturing practices etc. are the other concepts followed by the Sri Lanka Tea Trade to move in to the 21st century. The commitment of all stakeholders in the industry has helped Sri Lanka to sustain its leadership in the world orthodox tea market and also in value added tea export sector. The Sri Lanka tea industry received another feather in their hat in 2008 when “Montreal Protocol” recognized Ceylon Tea as “Ozone friendly.”
The diversity in specialty of its orthodox tea process has been the power and strength of the tea industry in Sri Lanka. Nuwara Eliya, Uva, Dimbula, Uda Pussellawa, Kandy, Ruhuna and Sabaragamuwa are the prime tea growing regions of Sri Lanka. Over the years Sri Lanka has earned a reputation as a producer of high quality tea and Ceylon Tea is synonymous with quality and taste.
Sri Lanka exports almost 90 percent of its production and has been able to maintain her global exports share at 20-21percent. A few decades ago the country was exporting only black tea in bulk form but today its exports profile has gone through significant development to cater to the changing world consumer demand. The product range includes black tea, green tea, instant tea, organic tea, flavored tea and RTD tea products. The value added tea exports account for nearly 40 percent of the total export volume.
Sri Lanka teas reach approximately 130 countries today. Firstly, it was the Middle Eastern markets that opened the door for Ceylon Tea. At present over 50 percent Ceylon Tea exports reach Middle Eastern countries. Tea is Sri Lanka’s main agricultural export commodity and accounts for approximately 15 percent of the total export earnings of the country. In 2007 tea exports earnings passed the magical figure of one billion dollars for the first time in the Ceylon Tea history.