Tea News and Biz Insight - August 6, 2021

HEAR THE HEADLINES – India Tea Auction Mandate Chafes Producers | Smallholders Seek Higher Raw Leaf Minimums| Sharetea Ranks 6th Among Fastest Growing US Retail Chains| GUEST – Narendranath Dharmaraj, consultant and former plantation manager with Brooke Bond, Unilever, and Harrisons Malayalam | NEWSMAKER – Shabnam Weber, president Tea & Hearbal Association of Canada | FEATURES – Tea Biz this week travels to India for an historical perspective on the Tea Board’s recent decision to enforce a controversial mandate that registered gardens sell at least half of the tea they produce at auction… and then to Toronto, Canada where Tea Biz continues its coverage on differentiating specialty tea with Shabnam Weber president of the Tea & Herbal Association of Canada and a spokesperson for the Tea Association of the USA and Tea and Herbal Infusions Europe. Shabnam says that as an industry, “we should together be working on elevating the value of tea for the betterment of every part of the supply chain.” Tea Auction MandateThe Tea Board of India recently issued a circular mandating that 50% of the production from a garden must be sold via auctions. We ask Narendranath Dharmaraj, a veteran in the tea industry about his views on this, and what it means to the industry. Is Tea Divisible?Joining us today is Shabnam Weber, president of the Tea & Herbal Association of Canada. In 2000 she co-founded the Tea Emporium, a chain of Canadian specialty tea shops. She served as a member the THAC board for many years before selling her company to lead the association. In this conversation she represents not only the Canadian tea industry, she is also spokesperson for the Tea Association of the USA and Tea and Herbal Infusions Europe, an apex group that in turn represents tea associations in Ireland, the UK, Germany, Spain, France, Austria, The Netherlands and several other European countries.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy