A cup of tea from Sri Lanka: Trade capacity building and technical assistance focused on training, skills development improves SME export competitiveness in Sri Lanka.

AuthorRafique, Waqas

Break the ice, cure a headache, host a guest or simply relax. All you need is a cup of tea.

It's hard to think of anyone who does not like tea. The delicate beverage has won hearts for thousands of years. According to folklore, a Chinese emperor was once boiling a pot of water. A few tea leaves whirled into it accidentally which gave off an aroma that the Chinese emperor couldn't resist. He drank the flavoured water and tea was born.

Today, the leaves of camellia sinensis we brew complete long journeys to reach us in the form of tea bags or tin packs. Small farmers, entrepreneurs and governments from more than 50 countries all do their best to win customers for their teas.

In Sri Lanka tea drinking is a visible part of daily life. You don't really need a special occasion to sit down for a cup of tea, be it at a swanky coffee shop in the bustling capital Colombo or a get-together of farmers in a village. It is a simple and inexpensive way of bringing people together.

Thisara Kalana always knew that tea from his country is popular the world over. His own relationship with the beverage was infused early. This is why he seized the opportunity to join his family business in the town of Matugama in Sri Lanka's lush Kalutara district. It is also the location he has chosen for the offices of his own new venture, Kandrick Tea.

Though he always wanted to take tea from his farm to the world, when Kalana first ventured into international markets he felt like a stranger. He lacked basic knowledge about export-related procedures and management practices. Sitting in his office with a view of his growing facilities, he spoke about the stumbling blocks encountered along the way.

'I faced many obstacles as a new entrepreneur,' Kalana recalled as he rinsed cups with hot tea before serving the drink, a practise he learned in China. 'I did not know how to complete export-related paperwork due to little knowledge about the required quality certifications.

'As a second-generation tea producer, our internal processes were mostly geared towards catering to domestic markets and we were quite set in our own ways, which made switching to suit exporting norms especially hard.'

What he did to improve the situation is testament to his passion to become an accomplished tea exporter. As the proprietor of Kandrick Tea, Kalana registered in the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) '2000 Exporters' programme. This programme seeks to nurture new entrepreneurs to begin...

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