1kg of specialised Assam tea sells for ₹99,999 at Guwahati auction
Guwahati-based wholesaler Saurabh Tea Traders won the bid for the specialised tea branded as Manohari Gold and produced by Manohari Tea Estate in Assam’s Dibrugarh district
A tea auction in Guwahati on Tuesday sparked a buzz when 1kg of orthodox golden tip tea from an Assam-based tea estate was auctioned for ₹99,999. The auction took place at the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC).
Guwahati-based wholesaler Saurabh Tea Traders won the bid for the specialised tea branded as Manohari Gold and produced by Manohari Tea Estate in Assam’s Dibrugarh district.
“This specialised tea is high in demand and production is very low,” said ML Maheshwari, CEO of Saurabh Tea Traders. “We were trying for long to procure this tea. The owner of the garden refused to sell it to us privately and decided to auction it.”
In 2018, 1kg of the same brand of tea was auctioned for ₹39,000, and it was bought by Saurabh Tea Traders at that time as well. A year later, the same company again bought a kilogram of that tea for an auction price of ₹50,000.
In 2020, 1kg of the tea fetched ₹75,000, with Vishnu Tea Company winning the bid.
Also Read: Centre takes steps to curb blending of imported tea with Indian teas
“There’s a very high demand for Manohari Gold tea since we started production of this special variant in 2018. It’s become popular worldwide,” said, Rajan Lohia, owner of Manohari Tea Estate. “This year, we produced a little over 2kg of Manohari Gold. We put out only 1kg for auction as we had to cater to demands from many of our customers.”
Unlike most teas, Manohari Gold is made from tea buds and not leaves, and goes through a tedious process. The buds are plucked early morning in the second flush season in May and June.
Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Arvind Kejriwal News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.