The Tea Trade Association (TTA) of Coimbatore, which is organising the convention with help from the Tea Board and other tea producing and trading asssociations in the country, expects to utilise the occasion to promote south Indian teas in upcountry regions.

Besides presentation of papers by personalities in the industry, the convention will have a tea tasting session and will be used as a plank for interaction among all those connected with the commodity.

According to TTA chairman Hemant J Shah, the convention would give an opportunity to improve demand for south Indian teas in the domestic market.In 1999 south India produced 194.60 million kg of tea and exported 97 million kg in comparison to north India's export of 93.20 million kg. North India, it may be recalled, had produced 604 million kg last year. The south tea industry has been predominantly dependent on export markets, especially that in Russia. The overdependence on one particular export market is being attributed as the main reason for the industry's present cup of woes.

Moreover, the industry in south has been striving hard to bring in a shift in the ratio of domestic sales to exports. The convention is also expected to provide the much needed push to the Coimbatore tea trade segment and also the auction centre here. The auction centre, which had been experiencing volumes as low as 15.76 million kg four years back, is struggling to retain its lost glory.

The total quantity of the commodity sold at the Coimbatore auction centre is around 23 million kg compared to around 80 million kg and 60 million kg sold at the Coonoor and Kochi auction centres respectively.

In his address at the 18th annual general meeting of the TTA, Shah said the association is in the process of developing a website to provide information on the tea markets and auction details. It is expected to be online shortly.