Production of non-traditional tea output One of the ways of the tea sector’s development

Lela Tsirekidze, candidate of economic sciences, Shalva Melkadze

Today Georgia needs a scientifically developed agricultural policy that would take into account the specific character of the country’s economy and would be based on the synthesis of the national traditions and the world experience.

It is a fact that the agricultural acquires a new quality with definite parameters of the development of the productive forces and production relations, with its own research-and-production potential, definite social base, economic and material-technical resources, original organization of labor and production, economic-organizational forms that developed in the socialist structures, ability of economic thinking and practical actions, a certain experience of management of the economy’s agrarian sector, etc.
All this is a historical heritage, ignoring of which has led us to the catastrophe. Guidance by only classical schemes and models has not justified itself in transition to the market economy, since they do not comply with the initial economic system existing in our country and do not envisage the peculiarities of the national economy. But the real market always reflects the country’s national traditions. Proceeding from this, it can be seen that our market economy begins not with the zero, but with the socialist planned economy, that is why it was necessary to thoroughly analyze the problems existing in the country’s economy and outline the arrangements for their solving, which, unfortunately, has not been done.
We believe that tea-growing is one of the most important directions for the development of Georgia’s agriculture. However, it is on the verge of ruining and if the corresponding measures are not taken in proper time, it will perish once and for all. That is why, with the purpose of development of the agricultural tea-growing, it is necessary to determine the main economic guidelines of tea production.
Tea, as a food product, is an important commodity for barter and clearing. There is a great demand for it on the world market and the purchasing prices are high, and this gives a guarantee that it will become an important source of solid currency incomes for the country.
Till 1988 Georgia was one of the most important tea producing countries and held the fourth place in the world. 5-6% of the world tea production fell on it. In that period the volume of finished tea in the world made up 1,89 million tons, only Georgia annually produced 110-120 thousand tons of finished tea output of different assortment, 80% of which was exported to the union republics and the world market. Carrying out of the incompetent economic policy in the country increased the disproportion between the supply and sale of the product, which has led to our losing of the place on the world market.
The problems of the country’s social and economic development make the development of tea-growing and tea production a priority task. The formed traditions of tea production, the data on studying of the market segments of tea trading in the world, real opportunities of recovering of traditional tea markets, etc give an opportunity of ascertaining of the mentioned fact.
With the purpose of recovering of the lost market niche, it is necessary to restore the reputation of Georgian tea, but in view of the lack of the necessary amount of finances, a quick rehabilitation of the sector is impossible. That is why, taking into account the properties of tea produce, such output products should be produced, for which there is a great demand on the world market.
Taking into account this circumstance, a group of scientists was charged with a task of giving a more responsible load to the Georgian tea, so that it should be valuable as not only a food product, but also as a preventive against iodine deficit and diabetes.
Iodine represents an important microelement for human life at any age. Its deficit makes difficult problems to both the population’s health and the process of the country’s economic development. It is known that iodine’s deficit reduces the national income by 6-7%.
Georgia is traditionally considered as iodine deficient region, especially in its highland part. According to the data of 1998, endemic goiter was observed with 58,3% of Georgia’s population and 55% of children. It can be said that currently in Georgia there is not a single region where the population would not be under the risk of development of the disease related to iodine deficit.
The catastrophe that took at Chernobyl nuclear power station created additional problems in endemic zones, as a result of which a large part of Georgia’s territory was contaminated because of radiation.
Added to ecological problems are considerable changes in the population’s nutrition’s. In the recent period the consumption of products that are rich in iodine has decreased by 3-4 times.
The Georgian government has carried out serious arrangements in this direction with the purpose of eradication the diseases related iodine deficit. The President of Georgia passed special orders, and from 1997 “the state program for prophylaxis of the diseases caused by iodine deficit” was put into effect, within the framework of which various arrangements have already been implemented.
In spite of the made efforts, the problem of iodine deficit is still an acute one, since large-scale prophylaxis arrangements have not been carried out in Georgia as yet, in particular supplying of the population with high-quality iodinated products.
To the present day the preference is given to iodinated salt as the cheapest product that is available for all stratums of society. However, it has been several years since another new product of daily consumption produced in Georgia – iodinated tea appeared on the market.
Tea, as a food product, has a positive effect on human health. It is s a moderately stimulative remedy and icreases capacity for work. It contains the whole complex of biologically active substances that are necessary for a human organism. Taking into account this circumstance, a group of scientist was charged with the issue of production of various kinds of tea (iodinated tea, tea with addition of “stevia”, green, red and yellow tea). Various and competitive produce guarantees that the Georgian tea will recover the lost market.
Several small enterprises tea producing enterprises managed to choose the right direction in their activities, they started production of the new output and have even achieved certain success in this matter.
For example, “Tonus” tea produced on the basis of the research and experiments carried out by Ltd “Georgian-Chinese Company”, after approbation in the Endocrinology-Metrology-Dietology Center, was recognized as a promising and alternative method for the prophylaxis of the diseases related to iodine deficit. It was presented to the National Center of Georgian Intellectual Property, where a document confirming the criterion of an international novelty – patent was received. The “Tea for diabetics”, enriched with leaves of “stevia” plant substituting for sugar, which was obtained by Anaseuli Research Institute is also a great success.
Arrangements liable to implementation:
– The following issue should be raised before the “Intersectoral Coordinating Council for liquidation of diseases caused by iodine deficit” – iodinated tea, as one of effective alternative remedies for prophylaxis of iodine deficit should be introduced in the intersectotal program for prophylaxis of diseases related to iodine deficit;
– Distribution of the produce, which implies opening of endocrinological realization points on the whole territory of Georgia as well as provision for agitational and other means;
– Rousing of the state’s interest in exporting of iodinated tea to the world market, special emphasis should be put of the republics of the former USSR, in particular endemic zones of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine where there is a very good prospect, since till 1990 Russia annually consumed 500 thousand tons of iodinated salt, but now it produces only 80-100 thousand tons. Proceeding from this, in case we implement iodinating of the whole tea produce, it will meet only 1,2% of the Russian market’s demand. Besides, the relations existing during the decades play a big role in selling of the produce.
Expected results:
Application of iodinated tea for prophylaxis of iodine deficit had advantages in comparison with iodinated salt:
– Proceeding from the tea’s chemical composition, iodine compounds contained in it do not acidify with isolation of free iodine and evaporation, which gives us an opportunity of constant retaining of iodine in the tea. Unlike salt, it does not require reiodination and withdrawal from the trading network, which entails certain financial expenses;
– Tea iodination technology gives an opportunity of exact dosage, on the basis of which it is possible to control the amount of iodine received by a person during the day;
– Iodine technology does not change organoleptic indicators of the tea (taste, color, aroma and marketable appearance);
– Iodinated tea gives an opportunity of its application for children and pregnant women with the purpose of prophylaxis of iodine deficit, when application of iodinated salt is related to certain problems;
– Extra quality salt is necessary for obtaining iodinated salt. The quality of the used tea has no effect on the iodinated tea, besides salt is imported and, as far as tea is concerned, locally produced output is used;
– There is a great demand for green tea in the world. In case of corresponding advertising, it is possible to receive considerable financial incomes out of production of high-quality green tea.
Proceeding from that:
– An alternative remedy for prophylaxis of iodine deficit – iodinated tea will appear in the country, which will seriously compete with the low-quality smuggled products on the local market;
– Production of iodinated tea will rid us of the necessity of complete iodination of exported salt;
– In case of corresponding advertising and conferring of the state priority, the produce will contribute to restoration of the Georgian tea’s image;
– It not only contributes to the development of the country’s most important sector – tea-growing, but also represents an important lever for agriculture’s rehabilitation, since increasing of production provides for the growth of annual incomes that will be used for restoration of tea plantations, which later will give us an opportunity to produce on the national base not only iodinated tea, but also the kinds of products that were well known in the past years.