The ‘Tea Testing and Promotion centre’, located in Kanyam, Suryodaya Municipality-7, Ilam, is set to begin operations on December 12. 

The dedicated facility for tea research and promotion is built at a cost of Rs 230 million, with funding from the Koshi Provincial Government and the municipality, according to the state-owned news agency RSS.  

Suryodaya Municipality Mayor Rana Bahadur Rai announced that Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki of Koshi Province will inaugurate the centre. “This is the country’s first tea research and promotion centre, and construction of all necessary infrastructure has been completed,” Rai said. “Additional equipment is being installed to support its operations.”  

Guidelines for the centre’s operation have been drafted by the municipality, with research responsibilities assigned to the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST).  

The centre’s establishment, nearly 160 years after tea cultivation began in the region, has generated excitement among local farmers. Tea farmer Manoj Bhattarai expressed optimism, stating that the centre would help identify tea plant diseases and boost production. “Currently, tea production relies on traditional methods with minimal processing,” Bhattarai said. “This centre is expected to modernize the process.”  

Situated amidst the iconic Kanyam tea estates, the centre is also anticipated to attract tourists. 

“Farmers have long struggled with quality testing and trade promotion,” said Ram Bahadur Rana Magar, Provincial Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning. “This model research centre will address those issues.”  

Tea has been one of Nepal’s top export commodities for decades. While 10 percent of Ilam’s tea is consumed domestically, 70 percent is exported to India, and the remainder to other countries, says the RSS report.  

According to data from the Trade and Export Promotion centre, Nepal exported over 13,900 tonnes of tea worth Rs 3.62 billion in the fiscal year 2023/24. 

In the first four months of the current fiscal year (mid-July to mid-November), tea exports surged by 58.5 percent, accounting for 4.5 percent of the country’s total exports. Nepal exported 8,138 tonnes of tea worth Rs 2.3 billion during this period, up from 5,775 tonnes worth Rs 1.49 billion in the same period last year, according to the Trade and Export Promotion centre.  

(With inputs from RSS)