Orthodox tea attracting German buyers in Nepal

Ilam is most popular for producing TEA in Nepal which is in Eastern part of Nepal. Where record of NTCDB 17.4 million kgs tea was produced from 17,451 hectares last year. Of the total production orthodox tea accounted for 20 percent. More than 95 percent of orthodox tea is exported to Germany, Japan, South korea and India. So now, Nepali orthodox tea is attracting German buyers of late after tea growers in the Eastern hills shifted to organic tea production. Nepali orthodox tea was gradually losing its charm among international buyers due to overuse of chemical fertilisers and pest. But now the scenario is changing.

         A group of German traders which inspected tea gardens and tea processing plants in Ilam, agreed to buy tea from some producers. The team agreed to busy tea from Sundarpani Tea Producers, Cooperative in Fikkal, Himalayan Shangri-La Tea Producers of Sankhejung and Kanchanjunga Tea Estate in Panchthaar. The team also certified these factories as 'ORGANIC PRODUCER'. Himalayan Shangri-La which exported 40,000 kgs tea last year to German and other European countries is also set to increase its production and export this year. Company is providing facilities to small holder tea growers for organic tea production. Every year traders from Germany and other European countries visit tea estate in Ilam. They choose products that are free of chemical uses. Unlike past, foreign traders are now looking bulk production of organic tea.

       Thomas Homse, who has been involved in promoting Nepali tea in the European market, said there were a few Nepali producers engaged in organic tea production although the product has a huge export potential in Nepal.

A river runs through it.

       Given the centralised nature of development, it is not surprising that the Central and Western Development Regions got most of the hydropower royalties. The parliamentary committee and one which perhaps, has a much more profound bearing on Nepalis is ensuring local participation in the construction of West Seti by providing 10 percent of the stake to residents of the Farwestern region and a further 14 percent to other Nepalis in general. In effect the committee recognised that it is not only those handful of individuals who have somehow managed to wrangle licenses for themselves but that ordinary citizens too, should be allowed an opportunity to directly benefit from nepal's water resources. As per current rules, 50 percent of the royalty goes to the centre, with 38 percent allocated to the development region housing the power project and 12 percent to the concerned districts. It seems a reasonable arrangement except when one looks at how the sharing actually happens. The table here shows figures provided by the Department of Electricity Development on how the hydropower royalty was distributed in 2011. Given the centralised nature of development in Nepal, it is not surprising that the Central and Western Development Regions gobbled up almost all of it, with the other regions getting just a little over 5 percent. Most gallingly the Far West received zilch. If only for that reason, West Seti will prove a boon to the most neglected part of the country. That however will still be a while off. For the foreseeable future, it will be the Central region that will continue to reap the benefits of hydropower royalty with major upcoming projects like Upper Tamakoshi and Middle Bhotekoshi, located within the periphery of Kathmandu. Going back to the question of allowing local investment, it is significant that the parliamentary committee asked that 10 percent be set aside for the region, rather than the district. since it opens the possibility of benefit to a much larger populace whether they live in the mountains or the Tarai. This is also an issue that will have to be given a great deal of thought when we design our model of federalism since we do not want those who live in the Tarai. nearly half the population to be denied our rivers largesse. This is particularly true for people of Tarai origin since many hill people would be able to retrace a connection with their ancestral lands up in the mountains and so claim shares. A major objection is if the kind of money required for massive projects like West Seti can be ratsed domestically. The cost of West Seti is estimated at Rs. 130 billion. The parliamentary committee wants 24 percent of that amount that is Rs. 30 billion to be raised within Nepal with Rs. 13 billion from the Far West alone. These are huge sums of money but the experience of Chillime Hydropower Project gives reason for hope. Chillime set aside 10 percent of its shares to Rasuwa, the district where the project is located and a further 14 percent to other Nepalis. It received commitments of over Rs. 4.2 billion for a share issue worth just Rs. 800 million.

Nepal's Women are being trafficked to the Middle East using New Delhi and Mumbai.

          In Nepal, the current situation is largely increasing for migrant workers from Nepal. This is making lack of manpower in nation which is very bad being such like underdeveloping country. Specially now a large number of women migrant workers are being traded illegally to Kuwait and other countries in the Middle East using Delhi and Bombay airports as transit points. The well-connected network of traffickers both in countries of transit and final destination presents a big challenge though Trafficking of migrant workers is emerging as a trans-national crime with well channelled international rackets exploiting legal loopholes and lack of proper coordination among concerned authorities, according to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB). Those traffickers or agencies involved in human trafficking forge documents are making fake citizenship certificates and passports. And dealings between the workers and outsourcing agents remain clandestine. Even Indian and Bangladeshi nationals are found to be using the Nepali route and Nepali passports to go abroad. CIB investigations have found that many of those migrant workers, especailly women end up being tortured and sometimes even suffer sexual exploitation at the hands of their employers. Without earning and insurance cover they are left with no choice but to return carrying bitter memories. Some of them even commit suicide. While many are forced to run away from the torture of the employers and become stray. Nepali missions abroad receivee hundreds of cases of victimised migrant workers in each month.