A tea auction centre was launched in Assam's Dibrugarh district to provide planters a market platform for their produce, making it the third such facility in the state
DIBRUGARH — A tea auction centre was launched in Assam's Dibrugarh district to provide planters a market platform for their produce, making it the third such facility in the state, officials said.
The Assam Chai Bazaar conducted the inaugural tea auction at H M Resort here on Friday, with 18 buyers taking part in the process, they said.
This is the third tea auction centre in Assam after Guwahati and Jorhat.
The launch of the Dibrugarh auction centre is expected to strengthen the local tea trade by providing producers in Upper Assam with a more accessible auction platform, reducing logistical costs and creating new employment opportunities in the region, a planter said.
Launching the facility, Tea Board India's North East Zonal Office Executive Director Arunima Phukan Yadav welcomed the establishment of the new auction centre and emphasised that Assam Chai Bazaar must operate in accordance with the rules and directives governing tea auctions across the country.
She said the inaugural auction was conducted around two months after the auction organiser licence was issued on July 18.
Describing the development as commendable, she urged the organiser to bring in the maximum number of buyers to ensure healthy competition and better price discovery.
The inaugural auction commenced at noon, as per the schedule circulated by the Tea Board of India, with the bidding and sales process completed within an hour, an official said.
Assam Chai Bazaar's representative Deven Singh said 18 buyers participated in the inaugural sale.
Some major buyers, including Hindustan Unilever Limited, could not participate due to technical issues at their end, he said.
In the CTC leaf category, 175 lots comprising 4,419 packages and 1,48,531 kg of tea were offered. Of the total quantity, 61.33 per cent was sold, at an approximate average price of INR 206 per kg, the official said.
Overall, the inaugural auction recorded an approximate average sale price of INR 207 per kg.
Veteran tea planter Mrigendra Jalan said the new auction centre would help producers reduce the additional transportation costs involved in sending tea to auction centres in Kolkata and Guwahati.
"We incur additional expenses in sending tea to Kolkata and Guwahati, but now those expenses will be reduced. The auction centre will also generate employment, and a warehouse will be set up," Jalan said.