Special e-auction helps Assam tea growers get better price amid Covid-19

A special e-auction has helped some tea growers in Assam avail better price amid the coronavirus crisis.

More than 93 per cent of tea from the Upper Assam region, in the auction, were bought by buyers from Assam, West Bengal, Delhi, Gujarat and Rajasthan.

Mjunction services limited, one of the largest B2B e-commerce company organised the special auction at Jorhat tea e-market place on Monday.

Hookhmol, Lankashi, Diroibam, Aideobari Premium, Muktabari, Rungliting Tea Estate, Narayanpur Panbarry, Durgapur, Tirual, Arin, Kathonibari, Friends Tea and Pabhojan are some of the major tea growers in Assam, who participated in the auction.

Pabhojan Orthodox tea was sold at a record price of Rs 4,000 per kg. Diroibam Speciality Green tea was sold at Rs 1,000 per kg, and the famous Hookhmol CTC tea fetched Rs 510 per kg – also record prices in their respective categories.

Also read: 'Recipe for disaster': Covid-19 spreads fear in India's tea estates

Director of Real Assam Tea Industries, which supplied the Hookhmol CTC, Bhaskar Hazarika, said, “Tea estate companies are the only private sector enterprises that have survived in Assam for two centuries despite all hostilities. Assam tea estates have survived the nationalisation bid, extreme regulation, Land Ceiling Act and agitations of all kind since 1947, but right now we are facing unprecedented challenges.

"The average price of tea in the primary market (auctions) has not increased from 2012 to 2019. We normally see few decent prices during the second flush period otherwise tea prices remain very low for the most part because all kinds of teas are blended and sold as cheap commodity in the secondary (retail) market."

"We are very hopeful and happy to see that mjunction is trying to bring small retailers into the market who are willing to sell the best quality Assam tea in its true form and not as a cheap blend," he said.

Assam contributes more than 50 per cent of India's tea production but has been seriously impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, less rainfall and stagnant prices.

Nazrana Ahmed of Diroibam Tea Estate, whose Green Tea was sold at Rs 1,000 per kg, said, “The special auction is significant to us, as we have received the highest bid for our speciality green teas. We are happy with the trust reposed on the platform by the buyers.”