• An auction in Kolkata sells Assam Orthodox tea for Rs 22K per kilogram

    Regional
    An auction in Kolkata sells Assam Orthodox tea for Rs 22K per kilogram

    The tea garden, founded in 1876 in Lahowal, Upper Assam's Dibrugarh district, is one of the world's largest tea estates.


    Digital Desk: The Mokalbari Tea Estate in eastern Assam produced a batch of Assam Orthodox specialty tea that was sold for Rs 22,000 per kg on Wednesday at the auctions in Kolkata.


    The tea was purchased by Kolkata-based Bhansali and Company for its Russian buyer, Masterskaya of Tea, according to representatives of the Mokalbari Tea Estate.


    The tea achieved the highest price to date in the Kolkata auction market.


    Anish Bhansali, the director of Bhansali and Company, said: "We have a large global customer base that is interested in such specialized tea. One of the leading Assamese Orthodox producers, Mokalbari, rarely offers such specialized tea for auction. Our customer is overjoyed to be able to buy the tea. "


    Ajay Jalan, the director of Mokalbari Tea Estate, claims that they often ship such expensive specialty tea directly to Europe and infrequently sell through the auction market.


    "These treats are created by hand using a unique tea varietal. We are pleased with the positive response from the customers and plan to continue providing these specialties in the future," said Jalan.


    With three tea estates covering 800 hectares of land and employing 1,600 skilled workers, the Mokalbari Group produces two million kg of both CTC and Orthodox forms of tea each year.


    There are about 850 large tea estates in Assam, which produces about 55% of all the tea in India. In addition, thousands of small tea gardens are privately held.