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International Tea Fair opens in Hong Kong
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Thursday, 13 August, 2009, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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PNV Nair in Hong Kong
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 The Hong Kong Internatiional Tea Fair got off to a colourful start when the Fair together with Food Expo was inaugurated on Thursday morning at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The three-day event will provide many business networking opportunities to facilitate tea trade and promote tea culture. Inaugurating the twin Fair, Dr York Chow, Secretary for Food and Health, Government of Hong Kong Special Administration Region, said this was going to be another talk of the town. Good tea goes well with good food and the tea fair is held for the first time in Hong Kong.
"Food is all important," goes a Chinese saying and the local government was preparing a new food safety Bill, he said. With one of the highest per capita consumption of tea, Hong Kong has a long tea drinking history. Hong Kong does not produce tea itself, so the Fair would be more objective (more fair?) in promoting all kinds of tea.
He said there were more than 250 exhibitors participating in the Tea Fair from 15 countries, including the mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, India, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Kenya, with the mainland holding the biggest pavilion true to its position as the biggest producer of tea. And the second biggest producer of tea, India has just two exhibitors, Haryana-based Marvel Tea and Kolkata-based Premier's. Tea Board of India was conspicuous by its absence.
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the promoters of the Tea Fair, has invited tea retailers and supermarket chains to attend the fair. There are more than 40 buying missions from 21 countries and regions, and the number of buyers is expected to exceed 900, according to the organisers. The Fair is divided into 9 sections to give visitors a clear indication of which section would suit them more. Exhibits on display include tea, processed tea and tea products, tea packaging, tea processing equipment and tasting services, tea ware, tea bar / organisation, tea technology, tea art and tea media. The first days of the Fair on August and 14 are exclusively devoted to the trade and the last day on August will be open to the general public.
After the inauguration, a Seminar on Tea Auction, was held. Speakers at the seminar were Anil Cooke, president of Asia Siyaka Commodities Pvt. Ltd. He spoke on the successful story and latest development of Colombo Tea Auction. Ms Kariuki, representative from the Tea Board of Kenya, spoke on the strengths and development of Tea Auction in Mombasa.
Two other parallel events are taking place along with the Tea Fair and Food Expo at the same venue. There is an International Conference & Exhibition of modernisation of Chinese medicine & health products from August 13 to17. The other one is the three-day Hong Kong Lifestyle Showcase, also from today.
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