Tripura’s first tea auction centre to be operational in March: Min

Agartala: Tripura govt has initiated plans to establish its inaugural tea auction centre, which will be operational from the March harvesting season, industries and commerce minister Santana Chakma said Saturday.As an initial step, the Tripura Tea Development Corporation (TTDC) organised its first tea buyers-sellers' meet, which saw participation from sellers based in Guwahati, Kolkata, and Delhi, alongside representatives from Tea Board India, Tea Association of India, and Indian Auction Association.The discussion witnessed participation from major tea estate proprietors who expressed interest in increasing their investments in the tea sector following the establishment of an auction market. Chakma highlighted that the operational tea auction centre would significantly reduce transportation costs and delivery times to nearest selling points, resulting in lower prices.Known for producing premium quality tea that reaches European and international markets, Tripura maintains five government-operated tea gardens and two factories, alongside 54 private tea gardens, collectively producing 90 lakh kg of processed tea annually.The minister emphasised the state govt's commitment to advancing the previously neglected tea sector, which has recently gained national recognition. She extended an invitation saying, "We urged investors to invest in our beautiful state and become partners in our growth story."TTDC chairman Samir Ranjan Ghosh said, "We are sending our tea to Kolkata and Guwahati for auctioning. Both of them are tea-producing states, so their domestic products get priority in auctions. And, no matter how good our quality is, we have to wait for our turn. If our auction centre is opened here, we will have the bargaining power, and the proper price realisation will take place."