Russia to lift ban on tea imports from Sri Lanka

Colombo :   Russia agreed to lift the restriction on the imports of agriculture products, including tea, from Sri Lanka from December 30, a Sri Lankan Minister here said on Monday.

The official delegation from the Sri Lanka Tea Board met with the Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance on Monday to discuss the temporary restriction imposed by Russia on imports of plant-origin products from Sri Lanka, Xinhua reported.

Russia imposed temporary restriction on such imports after an insect called the Khapra beetle was found in a consignment of tea from Sri Lanka earlier this month.

Sri Lankan Plantation Industries Minister Navin Dissanayake told Xinhua that Russia agreed to lift the restriction from December 30.

"We sent our team to Russia. The team was able to convince the Russian side of our position. Accordingly, the Russian authorities agreed to remove the restriction. It will be a major boost to our tea industry," he said.

Tea accounts for nearly 80 per cent of Sri Lanka's exports to Russia. Sri Lanka has exported $114.18 million worth of Ceylon Tea to Russia from January to August this year, according to the data released by the Sri Lankan Industry and Commerce Ministry.