Mohit Agarwal: Following the scent of tea from Assam to Mozambique

An accomplished tea taster, founder of Asian Tea, running some of the top tea plantations in Assam and the single largest organic tea plantation in the world in Mozambique, Mohit Agarwal has the unique distinction of having participated in every single tea auction centre in the world!

Born in Kolkata in 1973 into a family that has traditionally been involved with tea, Mohit was a student of St Paul’s School, Darjeeling. His love story with tea began in his childhood itself, when he would visit the tea gardens of Assam during his holidays. He soon realised that Tea was his calling and started Asian Tea in 1993.

Tea beyond boundaries

With plantations and offices spanning the sloping hills of Assam, India to the dense rainforests of Gurúè, Mozambique; the Group’s facilities consistently produce some of the finest teas from across the world. In India, Asian Tea is one of the top five exporters of tea.

Headquartered in Kolkata, with offices in Coimbatore, Colombo (Sri Lanka), Fuzhou (China), Gurúè (Mozambique) and Mombasa (Kenya), Asian Tea has a unique foothold that enables it to source teas from major tea producing regions of the world. The company’s tagline ‘Across the Globe’ is testament to its global reach.

Mohit shares, “Our esteemed clients are present in key tea drinking markets and we are the sole suppliers to major brand owners in those markets. Our partnerships have been nurtured into lasting associations by providing our clients with the best tasting, buying, blending, packaging and logistical facilities to our mutual growth and benefit.”

Elucidating on his plantations and the organic one in Mozambique, he says, “Our plantations are in Assam and Mozambique. Of these, the ones in Mozambique are organic. Cha de Magoma is situated in the Gurue province of Mozambique on the border with Malawi. We own about 10,000 hectares of land of which 2500 hectares is under tea. The rest of the land has Eucalyptus forests (acts as a natural barrier to protect the organic areas), Citronella & Guatemala plantations (acts as a cover crop and also helps replenish nutrients in the soil). Our annual production is about 2 million kg of tea. We produce CTC (black and green), Orthodox (black and green), Oolong and speciality teas.”

Asian Tea’s philosophy is to ensure absolute customer satisfaction and to deliver teas of the highest possible quality. Over the years, it has built a global network and infrastructure that is among the best in the tea industry. Majority of the company’s teas are exported to buyers in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, Netherlands, UK and USA.

Commenting on the digitisation of organic farming and its benefits, Mohit opines, “Digitisation and implementation of technology will reap huge benefits for all concerned. Quick flow of information and regular updates on new farming techniques coupled with inputs from experts will help the farmers improve productivity and adapt to the rapidly changing situation quickly.”

Asian Tea’s plantations are presently certified for EU Organic, USDA NOP, JAS, Fair Trade and UTZ practices. “Rainforest Alliance, Non GMO and FSSC22000 certifications are a work in progress and should be in place before the end of the year,” he adds.

Organic challenges

As for the future of farming, is it going to be Organic, especially with countries like USA and the EU ramping up legislation to boost the sector? Mohit agrees, “Organic farming is definitely the way forward. Talking about tea specifically – While the market for conventional tea is shrinking worldwide, the organic segment is expanding at a healthy pace. For organic products, the challenge lies in the ability of the farmer to be able to provide the consumer with a good organic product at a reasonable cost. The high cost of organic products is the biggest barrier to organic products becoming mainstream. We have to ensure the delivery of a good organic product at a fair and sustainable price to the consumer.”

The company does not export to India as the import of tea into India is restricted. But Mohit is excited about the potential. “The organic market segment in India is just about starting to take off and the potential for it to grow is exponential. People are getting more health conscious and are looking for certified organic products to use and consume. The organic segment is witnessing a boom and will continue to grow in the future.”

Sustainable chai

The issue of pesticides and other contaminants are increasingly influencing the tea supply chain. Asian Tea works together with its partners in the supply chain to deliver a safe and traceable product. The company believes that a healthy and safe cup of tea begins at the supply partners. The company supports farmers and tea factories all over the world on safe and sustainable production methods.

Mohit reiterates, “We believe that only an industry that creates value for all its stakeholders will remain sustainable in the future. The tea industry employs around 15 million people worldwide many of whom are smallholder farmers.”

His future roadmap? “Our vision is to be present in all major tea producing countries of the world thereby giving our customers the best value for their cup of tea,” he sums up.

https://www.asianteaexports.com/

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