[30.12.2004, 14:00]
Dear Friends,
The coffeetea.ru wishes you Happy Holidays and a Healthy New Year 2004 and may the new year bring you many new experiences and valuable discoveries in the coffee and tea field!
See you soon in the new year January 11, 2005! ...
//Coffeetea.ru//

[22.12.2004, 10:45]
An exhibition devoted to history of national drinks opens in Moscow ... Extraordinary exhibition - "History of National Drinks"- opens in former Middle Trading Rows at Red Square in Moscow on Wednesday. It features the world's largest collection of drinking utensils, corks, labels, pricelists and bottles, said an official of the company that sponsors the exhibition. According to the official, the collection is included in the "Levsha" Russian record book and this is the first ever its display. The exposition also includes information about the activity of the suppliers to the Royal Court of His Majesty's Romanov Nikolai Alexandrovich, Smirnov, Schustov, Schtriter, Eliseev brothers and tea producers, Perlov, Kuznetsov and Gubkin, said the official. The official emphasized that the exhibition is aimed at turning the compound into a tourist attraction where tourists from all over the world can get an idea of history of Russian drinks that are produced in the country and the beginning of the consumption of coffee and tea. Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov and Russia's Agricultural Minister Alexei Gordeev are expected to attend the ceremony.
//Saint-Petersburg.ru//

[21.12.2004, 13:45]
The conditions for the import of packed tea from India might improve ... According to information from unofficial sources received by Coffeetea.ru, India requested Russia to review its conditions for the supply of Indian tea to the country at the Russian President Vladimir Putin's talks with the Indian leaders on the country's admission to the World Trade Organization. For one, the two sides discussed the possibility of customs tax reduction on imports of packed Indian tea. According to the sources, officials of the Economic Development Ministry told the Indian partners that they were ready to reduce the taxes up to 12.5%.
//Coffeetea.ru//

[21.12.2004, 10:30]
Russia's Economic Development Ministry plans to adopt a decision on the expediency of the involvement of the country in the International Coffee Organization early 2005 ... Russia's Economic Development Ministry plans to adopt a decision on the expediency of the involvement of the country in the International Coffee Organization, ICO by early 2005. Head of the Ministry's international trading organizations department Vitali Aristov informed this to PRAIM-TASS news agency. According to Mr. Aristov, experts at the Ministry are now holding talks with the businessmen who are engaged in coffee business to determine the feasibility of Russia's involvement in the ICO. Mr. Aristov noted that economic effectiveness could be reached by increasing investment in Russia's coffee production sector and the creation of new jobs. He said that when the Ministry takes a favourable decision it would present a relevant draft law to the government.
//Prime-tass.ru//

[17.12.2004, 15:40]
Krasnodarsky region plans to restore tea plantation by 2006 ... Head of the plantation department of agricultural agency Vasili Ryabov has said that the world's northernmost tea plantation in Krasnodar region of southern Russia will be completely restored by 2006. This has become possible because the government and private sector finances quite sufficiently. Mr. Ryabov said that the government spent 10 million rubles for trimming tea plants and cleaning plantations last year alone. More than 20 hectares of tea plantation is situated along the Black Sea coast from Khost to Dogomys. At present a large part of the plantation is in good condition and a good harvest, 350 tons of tea was gathered last year.
Material from//Itar-tass.ru//

[16.12.2004, 12:40]
The Prime Minister of Abkhazia suggest to replace tea with kiwi fruit and avocado ... Prime Minister of Georgia's breakaway republic of Abkhazia, Nodar Khashba believes that tea sector is unprofitable. According to Sukhumi information agency, "Apsnypress", he made this statement at a Cabinet meeting in Sukhumi. Mr. Khashba believes that there is a need to reduce the tea plantation because tea from local factories cannot be realized event in penitentiary facilities. He suggests growing kiwi fruit and avocado instead of tea.
//Day.az//

[08.12.2004, 17:40]
Barista competition in the south and northwest of the Russia ... The second Barista competition was held in Rostov-on-Don on the 2nd and the 3rd of December. Twenty-three Baristas from the cities of the Southern Federal District, Stavropol, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, Sochi, Volgograd, Volzksky, Volgodonsk, Novorossisk and Novocherkassk competed for the title of best coffee maker and a place in Russia's national championship.
The results of the 3rd Barista competition in St. Petersburg, knock-out competition of the world championship-2005 was summed up on the 6th of December. Nine baristas participated in it. The winners of both competitions will compete at the 3rd Russian championship.
//Coffeetea.ru//

[01.12.2004, 10:55]
A new state standard, GOST, for labels… ... A new state standard for food items, GOST - "Food items; Information for consumers; General demands" - comes to effect in Russia in 2005. Speaking at a conference in Moscow Sergei Pugachev, deputy head of the federal agency for technical regulation and metrology informed this. The packing of food items must contain information about biological active substances, flavours and genetically modified products used in the production. Sergei Pugachev emphasized that the new GOST forbids printing the phrase of "ecologically pure product" on the package.
//Yarmarka.net//

[01.12.2004, 10:45]
Residents of St. Petersburg are dissatisfied with the quality of coffee… ... The quality control centre in St. Petersburg receives about 5% complaints linked to coffee. According to RBC, basically consumers complain over the quality of soluble coffee. The centre has tested 702 samples of soluble coffee in the past year and discovered that only 1% of them does not meet the country's quality standard, GOST. >br>The state establishment, centre for quality control of food, work and services, was set up by the city administration in 1992. It receives on an average of 2000 complaints a year and two thirds of them are linked with food items. The centre has withdrawn more than 60 tons of food items, more than 20 thousand liters of alcohol and 85 thousand items of perfumes from sale following checks in the past 12 years.
//Fontanka.ru//