Azerbaijan, Baku, 14 July/ Trend , corr I. Khalilova/ The Association of Tea Growers of Azerbaijan has signed a preliminary agreement with the German Society for Technical Assistance GTZ to render assistance for the development of tea industry in Azerbaijan, Farman Guluyev, president of the Association said.
GTZ has already granted $5,000 to build a nursery to grow necessary materials for tea-growing in Lankaran.
According to Guliyev, the Association has also appealed the International Development Agency of of the United States to assist in organizing its work, but the assistance was not rendered.
"Because of financial problems, our Association can not assist in restoring types of teas in Azerbaijan which have not grown since the collapse of the Soviet Union," Guluyev said. At the same time the members of the Association refuse to pay membership fees," he said.
The demand for tea in Azerbaijan totals to 15,000 to 20,000 tons, however, some 100 tons of tea is grown in Azerbaijan at present. Azerbaijan meets only 0.1% of its demand for tea. Per head tea demand in Azerbaijan makes up 2.5-3kg tea a year.
The Association plans to appeal not only the government, but also embassies and other private organizations to obtain assistance for the development of tea industry in Azerbaijan, he said.
The Association of Tea Growers of Azerbaijan was established as a non-governmental public organization on 31 October 1999. The initiators of the Association are Lankaran Tea Plant 1, Astara Tea Plant 1 and two farms. Some 5,000 tea growers of Azerbaijan are members of the Association.
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