KATHMANDU, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Nepalese tea has finally received its own brand logo or trademark in the international market after over a century long cultivation, government authorities said on Monday.
According to the National Tea and Coffee Development Board under the Ministry of Agricultural Development, it developed and registered the brand logo in the Department of Industry and has been endorsed.
"Nepali tea producers used to export tea with respective companies names or logos. Now, the tea will be sold in the international market with a common logo, which represents the national identity," Sheshkanta Gautam, executive director of the Nepal Tea and Coffee Development Board, told Xinhua.
The trademark comprises an image of mountains with "Nepal Tea: Quality from the Himalayas" written below it. Gautam informed that the logo will be formally unveiled during the third International Tea Festival in Nepal in March.
With the approval of Nepali Orthodox Tea Certification Trademark Implementation Directive, the board has already asked the producers, processors, packagers and traders to use the logo.
According to the National Tea and Coffee Development Board, Nepal produces tea in over 27,688 hectares of land in 44 districts, mainly in eastern districts like Ilam, Jhapa, Dhankuta, Terhathum and Panchthar.
Nepal has been exporting tea to eight international destinations, mainly India, Canada, Germany, the United States and China among others.
Shankar Sapkota, co-spokesperson at the Ministry of Agricultural Development, told Xinhua, "Having Nepal's own trademark is indeed good news which will be beneficial for the farmers and overall tea industry."
According to the statistics, the tea cultivation started in the Himalayan country from eastern district Ilam, some 154 years ago, while Nepal became a member of International Tea Committee in 2007.
The government of Nepal has also been marking 15th Baisakh as per the Nepali calendar as National Tea day.
