Border permit holding up tea exports to Pakistan, Afghanistan.

AMRITSAR: Markets in Pakistan and Afghanistan still remain elusive for tea traders of Punjab, because Pakistan doesn't allow import of tea across the Attari border. The neighbouring country is also yet to allow transit to Indian tea-traders for the export green and black tea to Afghanistan, although it allows transit to Afghan traders for exporting dry fruits to India across the Attari border.

"Punjab's annual turnover from green and black tea exceeds Rs 1000 crore, which could double if Pakistan allows the export of tea across the Attari border and allows transit to Afghanistan," said RK Goel, former president of Amritsar Tea Traders' Association, while speaking to TOI on Thursday.

He said the association represents tea-traders of Punjab as Amritsar makes the maximum contribution to the trade and used to be the only tea-trading hub in Punjab before other cities pitted in. Amritsar has several tea-processing units too, he added.

He said Pakistan is the second largest importer of tea from Kenya and Sri Lanka. "We are just 50km away from Lahore, and imagine how the volumes of trade would scale up if the borders are opened up for the tea industry as well," said Goel.

Amritsar tea-traders used to import green teas from Assam, West Bengal, Tripura and south India and processed them before exporting to Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan, said Rakesh Arora of Gopal Das and Sons. "Neither the trade bodies nor the politicians showed any interest in reviving Amritsar's tea industry. After Pakistan banned tea imports from India via the Attari border, trading shifted to Mumbai and Kolkata," he added.

Cargo facilities to Afghanistan by air from Amritsar are available but freight charges make tea trade unprofitable. "That's why we've been urging politicians to impress upon Pakistan to allow tea imports through Attari," said Sandeep Aggarwal of Aggarwal Brothers.

Goel said after the ban on tea exports through Attari, business has shrunk and is now limited only to Leh and Jammu and Kashmir. The government has paid no heed to their representations, he added.

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com