Industry stakeholders welcome Tea Board's decision to sell 50 pc of total production via public auctions

The Siliguri Tea Auction Committee (STAC) along with the buyers of North Bengal region welcomed the Tea Board of India's directive to manufacturers to ensure the mandatory sale of 50 per cent of the total tea produced through public auctions.

"Normally we are selling around 42 per cent made tea from our as Siliguri Tea Auction Centre and as a committee chairman, I welcomed the order. This will grow the sale of tea through the auction system. This system is fully transplant, no one can hide the price of tea and people can get the payment within a particular time", Kamal Kumar Tiwari, Chairman, STAC said.

The order was circulated on July 15, by the Tea Board.

He also said due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation, they could only buy 131 million tea from Siliguri Auction Centre last year. But if the Tea Board's directive works properly it will break the last year's selling record.

Pankaj Tiwari, auction buyer said the "tea board has given a very positive directive for the trade. Everything will be neat and clean and definitely increase the tea selling volume through the auction system."

Rajesh Agarwal, another auction buyer from Siliguri said, "Those who have not enough relation with the private parties, can sale their own made tea with this auction system. This will also be giving us a chance to show the varieties of tea and can create an open market through the online auction system."

There are around 500 tea gardens in Terai, Dooars including Darjeeling hills in the region.

According to STAC, the total production of tea in India is around 1,320 million kilograms, of which North Bengal shares more than 40 per cent.

( With inputs from ANI )