March 22: India's tea exports have been ruling at high levels currently. A new marketing strategy, which would differentiate export markets by product classification rather than just volumes, may help in identifying newer markets and clinching greater volumes. This idea has been mooted by the Indian Institute of Plantation Management (IIPM), Bangalore, as a means to taking on increasing global competition.The institute has divided export markets based on value-added products. India needs to increase value-added teas to occupy shelf space for which a classification based purely on the idiosyncracies of global markets is essential.
Various characteristic features of different countries could help in identifying markets easily, which would in turn help in increasing and sustaining larger volumes. The institute has worked out a nine-fold classification which includes markets dependent on appearance, convenience, ecology, cuppage, sensitivity towards biochemicals, agro-chemical markets, primary champagnemarkets, less liquid markets and impressionable markets.
A fixation for produce rather than product identity has, in the past, led to a conservative approach to seeking volumes. The newer segmented approach is a step ahead from just a broad classification of tea importing countries as orthodox and CTC markets.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
