STiR coffee and tea magazine

42 STiR coffee and tea | 2026 Quarter 2 Summer (Jun/July/Aug) By Mainbayar Badarch Nepal Tea at a Crossroads: Unlocking Premium Potential epal's tea sector has quietly grown into a significant player in South Asia, pro- ducing nearly 27,000 tons of tea last year. Of this, 19,218 tons were CTC tea, 7,034 tons orthodox, and 748 tons specialty teas such as green, white, oolong, and golden needle. Despite this diversity, most of Nepal's tea continues to be sold to India via Indian traders at negligible prices, often absorbed into the Darjeeling supply chain without recognition of its origin. This dynamic effectively commoditizes Nepali tea, masking its true value in global markets. However, a more promising signal is emerging from China. Nepal tea — such as golden tips and golden needle — has already started catching the eyes of tea con- noisseurs in China. A sensory evaluation conducted by a Chinese expert in 2021 found that Nepal golden tips tea is similar to Chinese Tanyang gongfu black tea. In China, these teas are sold at $800 per kg, whereas Nepalese teas are sold at $240 per kg. If they could even fetch half of the Chinese price, it would be more beneficial to Nepali farmers in terms of income rather than selling two leaves and a bud tea, which is usually sold in the Indian market. An additional benefit to producing this type of tea is that it's made by plucking one leaf and a bud, which increases productivity by 30%. Increased production creates more jobs and higher prices. Pramita Bajracharya, marketing execu- tive of Himalayan Tea Producers Co-operative Ltd. (HIMCOOP), said in an interview with STiR Coffee and Tea, "As China is a huge market, I believe Nepal should focus on the Chinese premium tea market for employment generation and high productivity with support from the international tea community." Nepal's tea industry enters a critical phase as it navigates structural and climate challenges to position itself in the global premium tea market. Premium Nepali teas, such as golden tips and golden needles (pictured above), have captured the attention of Chinese tea connoisseurs and command higher prices. Photo credit: Mainbayar Badarch Pramita Bajracharya, marketing executive of Himalayan Tea Producers Co-operative Ltd. (HIMCOOP), believes Nepal should focus on the Chinese premium tea market to generate higher income and jobs. Photo credit: HIMCOOP HIMCOOP Entering Premium Markets Fragmentation amongst Nepal's tea small- holders leads to structural bottlenecks, and individual producers often lack the scale to meet international buyer requirements. As a unique marketing cooperative represent- ing 30 tea estates in Nepal, HIMCOOP has emerged as a critical enabler since its establishment in 2003. Their mission is to collectively mar- ket Nepali tea on the global stage and cre- ate a distinct brand image for long-term market sustainability. By uniting efforts, HIMCOOP has reduced sampling and freight costs and enhanced competitive- ness in the international market. The co- operative has forged strong relationships with esteemed importers from Europe, the US, and Japan. Over the past 22 years, HIMCOOP has exported to 14 countries, with an an- nual export value ranging from NPR40 million to NPR50 million (from $269,000 to $336,000), and aims to double sales in 2026. Nepal tea has earned recognition and prestigious awards in China, the US, and Australia, reinforcing its position as a global leader in high-quality specialty teas. "Our major third-country market is Germany, and I feel we still need further penetration in this market," added Bajra- charya. "We're also focusing on the US, China, Middle East, and EU markets." HIMCOOP's tea comes from plan- tations at elevations ranging from 1,000 to 2,400 meters, where the geo-climatic N

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