BEIJING: An exhibition and sales center for Ziyang Fuxi Tea was launched in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in late April. It’s the first center to market the local specialty abroad.
As Kazakhstan’s biggest city and economic center, Almaty attracts many foreign investors. The center will help explore the local market and promote the brand, said Lin Hongmei, general manager of Shaanxi Chayang Zituo Trading.
The center now exhibits 14 tea products from seven companies, allowing visitors to sample them and discuss business.
“In recent years, the cooperation between China and Kazakhstan in economy, trade and culture has deepened. We hope to develop the center into a platform for trade services, networking resources, channel trade integration and international consulting services, to help the tea take root in Kazakhstan,” said Ye Ersen, general manager of the company’s marketing center in Kazakhstan.
Ziyang Fuxi Tea is a national geographical indication product from Ziyang county, Ankang of Shaanxi province, meaning only tea from that county may be branded as such. Benefiting from the Belt and Road Initiative, the county has promoted its tea industry to the Central Asian market.
Currently, the county has a tea plantation area of 17,300 hectares, with over 400 tea processing companies developing more than 40 types of tea products, including green, white, red, black and flavored teas. The tea industry has over 120,000 employees, and its annual tea production exceeds tens of thousands of tons.
The industry’s annual comprehensive output value reached over 6 billion yuan ($828 million). –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
