QTrade Teas & Botanicals, one of the biggest tea blenders and packers in the United States, is relocating from Cerritos, California, to Houston, Texas, a port city on the Gulf of Mexico.

Construction of a state-of-the-art facility in Brookshire is underway, with a move-in date in September. The new facility will double the company’s temperature-controlled manufacturing space and warehouse up to seven million pounds of tea and botanicals. Expanded capabilities include automated packaging, tea and powder blending, micro-reduction capabilities, and expanded 3PL logistics services.

QTrade CEO Manjiv Jayakumar discusses the business and quality-of-life considerations that led to the move.

Manjiv was named QTrade’s chief executive officer in 2010, originally a trading company his father founded in his uncle’s garage in 1994. QTrade specializes in sourcing organic tea and botanicals and has grown to be one of the largest organic tea suppliers and contract manufacturers in North America. Manjiv is a Harvard graduate with a master's in public policy and a degree in foreign service from Georgetown University. Prior to joining QTrade, Manjiv worked with Goldman Sachs in New York and London.

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ITO EN Plans India Entry | Tea Prices Rise in India | Pesticide Detection Tool Testing Underway

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Sri Lanka is Advancing from Ozone-Friendly to Zero-Carbon Tea | Kenyan Judge Orders Review of Sale of Lipton and James Finlay Tea Estates | Starbucks Rolls Out Siren Craft System

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HEADLINES – Sri Lanka is Advancing from Ozone-Friendly to Zero-Carbon Tea | Kenyan Judge Orders Review of Sale of Lipton and James Finlay Tea Estates | Starbucks Rolls Out Siren Craft System

INDIA TEA NEWS – ITO EN Plans India Entry | Tea Prices Rise in India | Pesticide Detection Tool Testing Underway

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NEWSMAKER – QTrade Teas & Botanicals CEO Manjiv Jayakumar

PLUS | Relocating to Expand and Enhance Lives –

QTrade Teas & Botanicals, one of the biggest tea blenders and packers in the United States, is relocating from Cerritos, California, to Houston, Texas, a port city on the Gulf of Mexico.

Construction of a state-of-the-art facility in Brookshire is underway, with a move-in date in September. The new facility will double the company’s temperature-controlled manufacturing space and warehouse up to seven million pounds of tea and botanicals. Expanded capabilities include automated packaging, tea and powder blending, micro-reduction capabilities, and expanded 3PL logistics services.

QTrade CEO Manjiv Jayakumar joins us to discuss the business and quality-of-life considerations that led to the move.

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The Sri Lanka Standards Institutitution will host the International Standards Organization’s 34th/Plenary Meeting on Tea on July 23 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The one-day event will convene delegates from 18 nations. ISO is an independent federation of national standards bodies from more than 160 countries. It is a non-governmental organization that convenes experts to agree on the best way of doing things.

“From climate change and healthcare to quality management and artificial intelligence, our mission is to make lives easier, safer, and better – for everyone, everywhere,” writes ISO.

Dr. Keerthi Mohotti, Ph. D., SLSI National Mirror Committee Chair and ISO delegate, is joining us today as a correspondent and guest.

He says, “The one-day ISO Plenary Meeting on Tea is one of the few international meetings organized in Sri Lanka after the COVID-19 pandemic, and substantial business and international attractions and affiliations are expected.

This meeting is particularly significant as Sri Lanka fully adheres to and champions ISO’s tea standards. “The objectives are to showcase Sri Lankan capacity and commitment to adhere to ISO requirements on tea as the sole tea-producing country fully aligned with ISO standards,” said Mohotti.

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Yes, Tea is Getting More Expensive | Lipton Tea & Infusions Partners with Cranfield University to Lower Tea Emissions | US Federal Judge Rules RC Bigelow’s “Manufactured in the USA” Claims Are False

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HEADLINES – Yes, Tea is Getting More Expensive | Lipton Tea & Infusions Partners with Cranfield University to Lower Tea Emissions | US Federal Judge Rules RC Bigelow’s “Manufactured in the USA” Claims Are False

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Dr. Keerthi M. Mohotti, Ph.D., Chair, National Mirror Committee of Sri Lanka Standards Institution and International Standards Organization (ISO) Delegate

PLUS | ISO Tea Techs Convene in Sri Lanka –

The Sri Lanka Standards Institutitution will host the International Standards Organization’s 34th/Plenary Meeting on Tea on July 23 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The one-day event will convene delegates from 18 nations. ISO is an independent federation of national standards bodies from more than 160 countries. It is a non-governmental organization that convenes experts to agree on the best way of doing things.

“From climate change and healthcare to quality management and artificial intelligence, our mission is to make lives easier, safer, and better – for everyone, everywhere,” writes ISO.

Dr. Keerthi Mohotti, Ph. D., SLSI National Mirror Committee Chair and ISO delegate, is joining us today as a correspondent and guest.

He says, “The one-day ISO Plenary Meeting on Tea is one of the few international meetings organized in Sri Lanka after the COVID-19 pandemic, and substantial business and international attractions and affiliations are expected.

This meeting is particularly significant as Sri Lanka fully adheres to and champions ISO’s tea standards. “The objectives are to showcase Sri Lankan capacity and commitment to adhere to ISO requirements on tea as the sole tea-producing country fully aligned with ISO standards,” said Mohotti.

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SPOTLIGHT | Revitalizing Kumaon

In the Himalayas of northern India, Kumaon Tea has opened its first farmer-owned and managed factory in a trailblazing partnership with US-based Young Mountain Tea. The region was one of the earliest to be planted by the British in the 1860s. A century ago, these high-mountain estates were abandoned, and the formerly productive tea fields lay fallow until an enterprising young entrepreneur marshaled the resources of US-based Frontier Co-op and USAID’s Cooperative Development Program to benefit hundreds of tea smallholders.

Joining us today is Raj Vable, founder of Young Mountain Tea in Marquette, Mich., who inspired the villagers of Kumaon to create a new era of economic resiliency and autonomy. The solar-powered factory with state-of-the-art equipment will process regeneratively grown certified organic tea in four styles available in retail locations by November. Vable writes, “We hope our model serves as a blueprint that can be replicated and improved upon so we can all collectively raise the bar on transparent sourcing, regenerative agriculture, and smallholder farmer equity.”

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Nepal Consul General Meets Indian Growers to Quell Crisis | Assam Experiencing Very Heavy Rainfall

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Lindsay Lohan TV Ad Advocates Office Tea Breaks | Suez Shipping Disruptions Intensify | Botanists Identify the Cause of Tea Leaf Droopiness

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"Think of us as a digital caravan of storytellers, bringing authentic, authoritative, and exclusive stories to you weekly from the tea lands.” – Dan Bolton

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HEADLINES – Lindsay Lohan TV Ad Advocates Office Tea Breaks | Suez Shipping Disruptions Intensify | Botanists Identify the Cause of Tea Leaf Droopiness

INDIA TEA NEWS – Nepal Consul General Meets Indian Growers to Quell Crisis | Assam Experiencing Very Heavy Rainfall

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Raj Vable, Founder of Marquette, Mich.-based Young Mountain Tea

SPOTLIGHT | Revitalizing Kumaon

In the Himalayas of northern India, Kumaon Tea has opened its first farmer-owned and managed factory in a trailblazing partnership with US-based Young Mountain Tea. The region was one of the earliest to be planted by the British in the 1860s. A century ago, these high-mountain estates were abandoned, and the formerly productive tea fields lay fallow until an enterprising young entrepreneur marshaled the resources of US-based Frontier Co-op and USAID’s Cooperative Development Program to benefit hundreds of tea smallholders.

Joining us today is Raj Vable, founder of Young Mountain Tea in Marquette, Mich., who inspired the villagers of Kumaon to create a new era of economic resiliency and autonomy. The solar-powered factory with state-of-the-art equipment will process regeneratively grown certified organic tea in four styles available in retail locations by November. Vable writes, “We hope our model serves as a blueprint that can be replicated and improved upon so we can all collectively raise the bar on transparent sourcing, regenerative agriculture, and smallholder farmer equity.

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Dozens of teas and tisanes were displayed at the 68th Summer Fancy Food Show in New York. Healthful, functional, and sustainably produced plant-based beverages with clean labels were in the spotlight—along with purpose-driven brands aligned with consumers’ desire for authenticity and social responsibility. Ethical Food and Beverage Marketer Gillian Christie, CEO of Christie & Co. in Santa Barbara, Calif., joins us this week to share her insights after three busy days maneuvering among the crowd of 30,000 walking the Javits Center show floor.

Gillian has been helping ethical companies grow for more than 30 years. As a former talk show host of a nationally syndicated green radio talk show, Gillian provides fresh, experienced, and dynamic insight and strategies to build companies into Iconic Brands based on value, meaning, and ethics. Gillian’s greatest passion is helping ethical companies succeed in making the world a better place.

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Assam Small Tea Growers Pledge To Grow Clean Tea | North India Tea Production Lower by 60%

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Consumer Sentiment Sags | Researchers Describe How to Boost Tea Consumption in China | Ceylon Planters Call for a Tea Stakeholders Summit: Debt Relief Brightens Outlook

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HEADLINES – Consumer Sentiment Sags | Researchers Describe How to Boost Tea Consumption in China | Ceylon Planters Call for a Tea Stakeholders Summit: Debt Relief Brightens Outlook

INDIA TEA NEWS – Assam Small Tea Growers Pledge To Grow Clean Tea | North India Tea Production Lower by 60%

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Ethical Food and Beverage Marketer Gillian Christie, CEO of Christie & Co. in Santa Barbara, Calif.

PLUS | Purpose-Driven Marketing | Dozens of teas and tisanes were displayed at the 68th Summer Fancy Food Show in New York. Healthful, functional, and sustainably produced plant-based beverages with clean labels were in the spotlight—along with purpose-driven brands aligned with consumers’ desire for authenticity and social responsibility. Ethical Food and Beverage Marketer Gillian Christie, CEO of Christie & Co. in Santa Barbara, Calif., joins us this week to share her insights after three busy days maneuvering among the crowd of 30,000 walking the Javits Center show floor.

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SPOTLIGHT | Assessing Tea Digitally

A half dozen critical tea supply chain handoffs require quality control assessments By producers and processors, traders, wholesale buyers, and retailers. Ascertaining and predicting tea quality at each step is time-sensitive, laborious, and expensive. Newly developed cloud-based predictive and prescriptive profilers powered by artificial intelligence are redefining transactions by offering buyers and sellers unbiased reference points. These portable devices expedite quality assessment by producing an affordable digital profile that is as unique as a fingerprint and traceable. Profiles combine tasting notes and test results on-site in minutes.

Tea Biz invited the development team at ProfilePrint in Singapore to describe their technology and its application to tea. Sherman Ho, Chief Science and Technology Officer, Ellis Chua, Chief Commercial Officer, and Hoe Phong Tham, Head of Corporate at Profile Print, joined us for the briefing with tea buyer Ravi Pillai, Director of Quality and Development at DAVIDsTea in Montreal.

ProfilePrint Founder Alan Lai is a pioneer in digital food identity as a service (IDassS), which uses AI-driven portable analyzers to gather complex molecular data from ingredient samples. The result is a digital fingerprint that establishes the identity and predicts the quality of rice, grains, seeds (including coffee and cocoa), tea leaves, spices, and oils.

Alan explains that the objective is not to replace tasters who manually evaluate hundreds of cups daily, combining art and skill beyond the existing technology. The hyperspectral analysis is comparable to an off-site lab, but buyers and sellers benefit most from combining an organoleptic assessment to create a model of what they want. Sellers create a model of what they offer in a digital marketplace where matches are made in milliseconds.

The analyzers also reduce repetitive and mundane tasks like screening out undesirable samples before the meticulous preparation required for cupping. “Our clients view ProfilePrint as an apprentice who is ready to learn and helps complete tasks the same way we would have done them ourselves, freeing us up to focus on the more complex tasks,” he said. “Industry professionals don't enjoy mundane and repetitive jobs, but they still prefer to personally complete them as much as practically possible because it's difficult to rely on others when they are ultimately still held responsible.” Trusting and training an apprentice takes years without the certainty that it will always succeed,” writes Lai.

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BBTC's Singampatti Group Ceases Operations at Oothu, Manjolai, Manimuttar Estates | ABLTMA Launches Mobile Testing Lab | New Tea Disease Discovered in Assam

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Summer is Off to an Extreme Start | British Authorities Recall Insect-Tainted Organic Infusion | Northwest Tea Festival will Host its 14th Edition in September

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HEADLINES – Summer is Off to an Extreme Start | British Authorities Recall Insect-Tainted Organic Infusion | Northwest Tea Festival will Host its 14th Edition in September

INDIA TEA NEWS – BBTC's Singampatti Group Ceases Operations at Oothu, Manjolai, Manimuttar Estates | ABLTMA Launches Mobile Testing Lab | New Tea Disease Discovered in Assam

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GUESTS – Sherman Ho, Chief Science and Technology Officer, Ellis Chua, Chief Commercial Officer, and Hoe Phong Tham, Head of Corporate at Profile Print, with tea buyer Ravi Pillai, Director of Quality and Development at DAVIDsTea in Montreal.

SPOTLIGHT | Assessing Tea Digitally

ProfilePrint Founder Alan Lai is a pioneer in digital food identity as a service (IDassS), which uses AI-driven portable analyzers to gather complex molecular data from ingredient samples. The result is a digital fingerprint that establishes the identity and predicts the quality of rice, grains, seeds (including coffee and cocoa), tea leaves, spices, and oils.

Alan explains that the objective is not to replace tasters who manually evaluate hundreds of cups daily, combining art and skill beyond the existing technology. The hyperspectral analysis is comparable to an off-site lab, but buyers and sellers benefit most from combining an organoleptic assessment to create a model of what they want. Sellers create a model of what they offer in a digital marketplace where matches are made in milliseconds.

The analyzers also reduce repetitive and mundane tasks like screening out undesirable samples before the meticulous preparation required for cupping. “Our clients view ProfilePrint as an apprentice who is ready to learn and helps complete tasks the same way we would have done them ourselves, freeing us up to focus on the more complex tasks,” he said. “Industry professionals don't enjoy mundane and repetitive jobs, but they still prefer to personally complete them as much as practically possible because it's difficult to rely on others when they are ultimately still held responsible.” Trusting and training an apprentice takes years without the certainty that it will always succeed,” writes Lai.

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SPOTLIGHT | Locking Carbon Away –

Shrey Agarwal grew up in Darjeeling, where his family owns the Selim Hill Tea Estate. Last year, he graduated from the well-known Birla Institute of Technology and Science at Pilani, majoring in mechanical engineering and chemistry. He founded Alt Carbon to permanently remove 5 million tons of carbon dioxide annually. He focuses on the Indian tea industry alone, using Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW), a geoengineering technique that speeds up the natural process of carbon removal from the atmosphere by applying crushed rock to soil. Editor Aravinda Anantharaman discusses his ambitions in this podcast.

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