Tea stalls will be set up countrywide soon to make quality fresh tea easily available to Sri Lankan consumers at reasonable prices, Company Estate Reforms, Tea and Rubber Estates Related Crops Cultivation and Factories Modernization and Tea and Rubber Export Promotion State Minister Kanaka Herath said.
Initially, tea outlets will be set up in selected cities across the country. Thereafter, the number of outlets will be increased, making it easier for consumers to buy high quality fresh tea.
State Minister Herath said that the set up of tea stalls would commence soon and consumers could taste a cup of fresh quality tea very soon.
Although Sri Lanka has been a world-renowned manufacturer of quality tea for decades, Sri Lankan consumers cannot buy standardised, quality tea leaves. Therefore, this project enables them to obtain high quality Sri Lankan tea and other tea related products at reasonable prices.
“Even though Sri Lanka has been producing quality fresh tea to the world, it is hard for local customers to buy quality tea or to taste the real taste of quality fresh tea. Tea stalls will be opened up in towns. As an outcome of this move, low quality tea will remove from the market gradually with the availability of high quality tea,” he added.
The Minister said that tea sales centres will be set up at State buildings in towns and suburbs, which will help to reduce operating costs.
State Minister Herath instructed the Ministry officials to prepare a list of cities to set up the first tea stalls. He asked to conduct a study on State buildings or offices in these suburbs and to look into the possibility of setting up tea outlets in them.