$600m tea import bill exposes neglected commercialisation

$600m tea import bill exposes neglected commercialisation

Pakistan imports over $600 million worth of tea every year, excluding an equal quantity smuggled under the garb of Afghan Transit Trade, and now ranks among the top tea importing and consuming countries. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) reported that tea consumption in Pakistan increased significantly by 35.8% from 2007 to 2016. Tea has become a major import commodity, draining the country's foreign exchange reserves each year. Tea pl…