Nepali tea gets own trademark, not to use Darjeeling, India logo

Nepal's orthodox tea exports will no longer have the logo 'Darjeeling, India' and will be sold abroad with its own identity, 154 years after tea cultivation commenced in the Himalayan nation, a media report said on Monday.

Nepal has received its own logo or trademark, with the long-standing efforts of the Nepal Tea and Coffee Development Board, organisations associated with tea production, and experts in the field, The Himalayan Times reported.

The trademark comprises an image of mountains with 'Nepali Tea Quality from the Himalaya' written below it. Prior to this, Nepal's orthodox tea was being exported with the logo of Darjeeling, India, the report said.

Nepal produces certain varieties of teas that are somewhat related to Darjeeling tea in its appearance, aroma and fruity taste.

Ministry of Agricultural Development, with the support of Himalaya Tea Producers Association and Nepal Tea and Coffee Development Board, has developed the logo.

Preparations have begun to hold an event at the base camp of Mt Everest to establish the logo in the international market.

Bigger buyers and world's journalists are scheduled to attend the logo inauguration event at the Mt Everest Base Camp.

However, using and establishing the logo is still a big challenge, shared Chandra Bhusan Subba, a tea expert involved in the development of the logo.

For the implementation of the logo, the Ministry has issued Nepali Orthodox Tea Certification Trademark Implementation Directive 2074.

The directive has fixed certain standards for the use of the logo including that the produced tea must be fully organic. Nepalese tea producers wanting to use the logo must submit an application after which the process will move forward, the report said.

"Standards such as the quality of tea produced, employment security of the workers, sensitivity toward environmental protection must be met in order to use the logo," said Subba.

"The logo and the directive have been approved, now Nepali tea will carve its niche in the international market." With this move, Nepali tea would get good price in the international tea market and farmers would directly be benefited, therefore all should stress proper implementation of the logo, Subba said.

The tea farmers have become elated with the development of Nepal's own trademark, also hoping that this will induce good business and sustainability, the report said.

According to the National Tea and Coffee Development Board, Nepal produces tea in over 66700 acres of land. Nepal mainly exports tea to India, Canada, Germany, the US and China.

Tea cultivation that began in Nepal from Ilam since 1920, has spread to 44 districts. The then chief of the district 'Badahakim' Gajaraj Singh Thapa had first cultivated tea in Ilam, after which a factory was set up in 1935 that started tea production from the district.

Ilam is also home to the oldest and historical tea factory of the country, the report said.