Michael Plant asked (7th Jan 2004)on

Snip>>>A friend of mine has been bugging me for information about the
teas now available from the x-Soviet southern republics such as
Georgia. What's the story and what can I advised as to the wheres and
hows?<<<

As not every one on r.f.d.t may read Teamail and there may be group
interest in what's happening in Georgia I have copied my reply here
too.


I have been (through consultancy and training company Tea Technology
Associates) advising companies in Georgia during 2003 about
rehabilitating their tea industry. This is a World Bank funded project
managed through two US companies and implemented by Georgian
management consultancy company (CERMA) to rehabilitate ailing (but
potentially viable) Georgian industries of which tea is (or was) an
important one. After Soviet collapse and subsequent civil war in
Georgia the Georgian tea production declined disastrously from an
annual 200,000 tonnes in 1990 to 5,000 tonnes in 2001. Newly
independent Russia & CIS countries, who used to take the bulk of this
"in-house" production switched to internationally available teas from
Sri Lanka and India. You can perhaps sympathise with the lot of the
Georgian field workers and factory hands who saw their jobs and
livelihoods disappear overnight and without any means to re-establish
them. The tea fields are now like jungles - overgrown by weeds and
small trees, unfertilised and undrained. The factories are crumbling
ruins with leaking roofs and most of the machines sold for scrap metal
to Turkey, to fund the civil war fighting. Years of high level
corruption have diverted inward investment into private pockets -
though all hope that recent democratic elections may turn this around.
It's certainly an uphill struggle to get the industry going again.
It lacks finance, knowledge and confidence. We have been involved in
field, factory and marketing strategy formulation plus a lot of actual
"getting hands dirty" work at grass roots level.

As project "tea experts" we have advised CERMA on all aspects the
during 2003 and with them have achieved some specialty tea sales,
formed a hand made tea association, a producers cooperative,
introduced some much needed plantation and factory improvements, taken
a party of Georgian producers to Sri Lanka to see quality tea
production there (that was a trip to remember - we had to go in the
guise of Russian tea buyers but it quickly became obvious from the
questions they asked that their interest was more with understanding
how to adjust a rolling table than the price of fancy Ceylon leaf),
have issued a Georgian tea brochure, made a promotional video, and are
helping with setting up a web site (www.georgia-tea.com) - still under
construction but worth a look. I shall again be in Georgia next week
and hope that we will get it finalised then.

Some r.f.d.t members have seen samples of hand made teas and village
scale manufactured teas, sent out for preliminary evaluation (and have
sent me tasting comments - gratefully received). We hope to be at
TakeMe2Tea with samples in March 2004 (new funds permitting - the
World Bank funding will run out at end of this month). The hand made
teas are particularly interesting to tea gourmets - we have identified
around 500 families making their teas at home with no machinery - fine
plucked, shade withered, hand rolled, and sun dried - a black
(oxidised) version of white tea. Initial trial sales of these unusual
teas (under name Georgian Old Lady Tea) through my internet mail order
company Nothing But Tea (www.nbtea.co.uk) are brisk, with lots of
repeat orders.

Unfortunately we cannot now send free samples of tea to USA due to new
bio terrorism regulations in force since 12th December which requires
filing of a separate application form for permission to send every
single half oz sample (15 minutes of our administration per filing).
But doubtless we will eventually find ways to cope with this, though
it may require a small payment - as a market survey question would one
dollar sound unreasonable? However, we can send you the Georgian
information brochure and hope to see you all at TakeMe2Tea in Las
Vegas. Meanwhile, please address any questions about Georgian Tea -
production or marketing either via r.f.d.t or to me privately.

Nigel at Teacraft

Nigel, a public "thank you" for posting this information. We'll get back to
you off-group.

Michael



Nigel at 1/8/04


> Michael Plant asked (7th Jan 2004)on
>
> Snip>>>A friend of mine has been bugging me for information about the
> teas now available from the x-Soviet southern republics such as
> Georgia. What's the story and what can I advised as to the wheres and
> hows?<<<
>
> As not every one on r.f.d.t may read Teamail and there may be group
> interest in what's happening in Georgia I have copied my reply here
> too.
>
>
> I have been (through consultancy and training company Tea Technology
> Associates) advising companies in Georgia during 2003 about
> rehabilitating their tea industry. This is a World Bank funded project
> managed through two US companies and implemented by Georgian
> management consultancy company (CERMA) to rehabilitate ailing (but
> potentially viable) Georgian industries of which tea is (or was) an
> important one. After Soviet collapse and subsequent civil war in
> Georgia the Georgian tea production declined disastrously from an
> annual 200,000 tonnes in 1990 to 5,000 tonnes in 2001. Newly
> independent Russia & CIS countries, who used to take the bulk of this
> "in-house" production switched to internationally available teas from
> Sri Lanka and India. You can perhaps sympathise with the lot of the
> Georgian field workers and factory hands who saw their jobs and
> livelihoods disappear overnight and without any means to re-establish
> them. The tea fields are now like jungles - overgrown by weeds and
> small trees, unfertilised and undrained. The factories are crumbling
> ruins with leaking roofs and most of the machines sold for scrap metal
> to Turkey, to fund the civil war fighting. Years of high level
> corruption have diverted inward investment into private pockets -
> though all hope that recent democratic elections may turn this around.
> It's certainly an uphill struggle to get the industry going again.
> It lacks finance, knowledge and confidence. We have been involved in
> field, factory and marketing strategy formulation plus a lot of actual
> "getting hands dirty" work at grass roots level.
>
> As project "tea experts" we have advised CERMA on all aspects the
> during 2003 and with them have achieved some specialty tea sales,
> formed a hand made tea association, a producers cooperative,
> introduced some much needed plantation and factory improvements, taken
> a party of Georgian producers to Sri Lanka to see quality tea
> production there (that was a trip to remember - we had to go in the
> guise of Russian tea buyers but it quickly became obvious from the
> questions they asked that their interest was more with understanding
> how to adjust a rolling table than the price of fancy Ceylon leaf),
> have issued a Georgian tea brochure, made a promotional video, and are
> helping with setting up a web site (www.georgia-tea.com) - still under
> construction but worth a look. I shall again be in Georgia next week
> and hope that we will get it finalised then.
>
> Some r.f.d.t members have seen samples of hand made teas and village
> scale manufactured teas, sent out for preliminary evaluation (and have
> sent me tasting comments - gratefully received). We hope to be at
> TakeMe2Tea with samples in March 2004 (new funds permitting - the
> World Bank funding will run out at end of this month). The hand made
> teas are particularly interesting to tea gourmets - we have identified
> around 500 families making their teas at home with no machinery - fine
> plucked, shade withered, hand rolled, and sun dried - a black
> (oxidised) version of white tea. Initial trial sales of these unusual
> teas (under name Georgian Old Lady Tea) through my internet mail order
> company Nothing But Tea (www.nbtea.co.uk) are brisk, with lots of
> repeat orders.
>
> Unfortunately we cannot now send free samples of tea to USA due to new
> bio terrorism regulations in force since 12th December which requires
> filing of a separate application form for permission to send every
> single half oz sample (15 minutes of our administration per filing).
> But doubtless we will eventually find ways to cope with this, though
> it may require a small payment - as a market survey question would one
> dollar sound unreasonable? However, we can send you the Georgian
> information brochure and hope to see you all at TakeMe2Tea in Las
> Vegas. Meanwhile, please address any questions about Georgian Tea -
> production or marketing either via r.f.d.t or to me privately.
>
> Nigel at Teacraft