President to request Russia to withdraw tea ban
Posted on December 17th, 2017
President Maithripala Sirisena said that he will make an official request from Russian President Vladimir Putin to remove the temporary ban on Sri Lanka tea exports.
The President made this statement at an event in Haputale, a short while ago.
The Russian Federation temporarily banned tea imports from Sri Lanka on December 14, due to the detection of a single specimen of the agricultural pest, the beetle Trogoderma granarium in the packaging material of a consignment of tea shipped from Sri Lanka.
The Russian authorities said that the ban is of a temporary nature and would last only until the completion of negotiations and clarification of the situation with the competent authority of Sri Lanka.
However, the Estate Superintendents emphasized that no insects can be present inside the packaging material of tea exported from Sri Lanka, as world recognized quality standards are followed in the process of tea exportation.