Beetle blocks tea supplies to Russia
Posted on December 16th, 2017
Courtesy The Island
December 15, 2017, 10:51 pm
Russia will place temporary restrictions on imports of all agricultural products from Sri Lanka, including tea, from Dec. 18, a report published by the Indian Express said quoting the Russian agricultural safety watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor.
The IE report said: The watchdog said it had taken the decision to impose restrictions after it found an insect, known as the Khapra beetle, in the packaging of one consignment of tea from Sri Lanka.
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Khapra beetle
(A representational Image)
Tea from Sri Lanka accounts for 23 percent of Russia’s tea market, with other supplies coming from India, Kenya, China and Vietnam, Ramaz Chanturiya, the head of the Rusteacoffee Association, was quoted as saying by RIA news agency.
Members of Rusteacoffee, an association of Russian tea producers, will ask Rosselkhoznadzor to resume tea imports from Sri Lanka but with tougher controls, he added.
Russia imported 141,300 tonnes of tea worth $436 million in the first 10 months of 2017, according to customs data.