Caffeine-free red tea, with a number of health benefits, would soon be available for Indian consumers as South Africa-based Blue Africa Trading (BAT) plans to enter into a trading pact with a number of Indian companies.
BAT’s Managing Director Charl Rudman told Business Standard, “We will sign an MOU with a Mumbai-based House of Bhaishankars, an export/import company, to supply red tea to speciality tea shops. We would be supplying it with Rooibos tea.”
Rooibos tea (Aspalathuslin-earis) is a type of herbal tea. It is similar to green tea but offers more benefits. It is not obtained from camellia trees but is made from the indigenous herb of South Africa called Rooibos (Roy-Boss), full of polyphenols and flavonoids that help protect the body from free radicals. The free radicals can otherwise weaken natural defences and eventually lead to aging and the onset of diseases. Also, red tea offers is completely caffeine-free.
“We have received three orders for loose tea. We are also exploring a possibility for a tie-up with Tata and we might enter into negotiations with Tata Tetley soon. There is still a window of opportunity for other businesses interested to import Rooibos tea,” said Rudman.
South Africa is currently the only producer of this tea in the world. Production for Rooibos tea has tripled over the last 10 years from 5,000 tonnes in 1997. Over the past decade, average annual production was 10,500 tonnes, but it is cyclical and influenced by the weather. The best crop till now was in 2009, at 20,000 tonnes. This year’s crop is expected to be 9,000 tonnes. About half of tonnage produced is expected to be consumed in South Africa and the remainder exported.
India is one of the leading tea exporters of the world. But, Rooibos tea is relatively unknown to the India market. Hence, we thought to bring this tea to India, Rudman added.
