Tripura Tea Development Corporation earns record auction price

Tea of Tripura Tea Development Corporation Ltd (TTDC) sold at an average price of Rs 213 per kg at the Guwahati tea auction centre, the highest-ever price earned by the government-run public sector undertaking, an official said.

Last year the average selling price of finished tea of TTDC was pegged at Rs 129 per kg at auction markets. The northeastern state, which has 54 tea gardens and 24 tea processing factories, produces 90 lakh kg to 1 lakh kg of finished tea annually.

"The TTDC for the first time sold finished tea at an average price of Rs 213 per kg at auction markets which is the highest ever price earned by the corporation. This a big achievement not only for TTDC but also for hundreds of small tea growers who supply tea leaves to us", TTDC chairman Samir Ranjan Ghosh told PTI on Friday.

TTDC has produced around 6.84 lakh kg of finished tea in the current year (2024-25) till October, 2024 while it had produced 7.18 lakh kg of finished tea during 2023-24 financial year.

"After joining TTDC, I emphasized quality right from plucking to finished product to get a better price at auction markets. I told the small tea growers that if they supply quality leaves, we will get the best price. From collection to finished product we maintained quality and it paid off", Ghosh said.

Asserting that the tea sector had largely been ignored in the northeastern state in the past, he said it was the BJP-led government that had given due importance to the tea industry since 2018.

"A logo has been unveiled for the state's tea to promote the tea on the national stage. Besides, tea produced in the state has been named as Tripureswari tea. An Rs 85 crore scheme for development of tea industry and tea workers was launched. All these factors have contributed to the present day's tea industry", Ghosh said.

"Having knowledge about tea industry, I personally talked to registered brokers at the Guwahati auction market to bring the best price for the finished tea produced by TTDC", he said.

At present, the TTDC runs two tea processing factories one at Durgabari and another at Brahamkunda in West Tripura.

"With growing demand for finished tea of TTDC, construction work has already begun for setting up another tea processing unit at Machmara in Unakoti district", he added.