‘Manohari Gold Tea’ fetches records Rs 99,999 a kg at GTAC

 
 
Guwahati, Dec 14: Manohari Tea Estate in Dibrugarh district of Upper Assam has once again hogged the limelight in the quintessential Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) today as its produce, orthodox ‘Manohari Gold Tea’ fetched record highest price of Rs 99,999 per kg during the sale No. 50.

 
A kilogram of “Manohari Gold Tea”, which is a high-oxidant, speciality orthodox tea, produced at Manohari Tea Estate was bought by Saurav Tea Traders with the highest bid of Rs.99, 999 per kilogram in the auction sale today.

The tea estate thereby has taken specialty tea production to the next level, which is evident from the record rates realised over the past three years at the auctions. It is indeed good news for tea gardens in Assam which have faced myriads constraints of late including falling tea prices and high cost of production following two waves of COVID19 pandemic that hit the industry hard.

In October 2020, the variety “Manohari Gold Tea’ was sold for a record price of Rs 75,000 per kg, which was then the highest rate fetched in a public auction. 
 
In July 2019, a kilogram of the same variety fetched Rs 50,000 a kg while in the previous year, a kilogram of the variety sold for Rs 39,001 per kg.
 
According to sources at the tea estate, the gold tea is made from small buds, and not the tea leaves, which is a cumbersome process. It is made from the finest clones, the P-126, which is said to be the best clone. More importantly, the tea buds are plucked from the bushes early in the morning during the second flush season in May and June.
 
“This is a proud moment for Guwahati Tea Auction Centre where Manohari Gold Tea, which is a famous and rare variety of tea from Assam, has once again created history by breaking its own record,” Guwahati Tea Auction Buyers Association secretary, Dinesh Bihani informed.
 
 “I hope that foreign buyers will like these Indian specialty teas and urge more and more sellers to come up with specialty teas and make India a hub for such varieties,” Bihani said.