Assam’s Pu’er tea fetches Rs 12,000 per kg at Guwahati tea auction

Guwahati: Assam continues to diversify its tea portfolio, Pu'er Tea Cake was sold at Rs 12,000 per kg in the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC).

A total quantity of 5 kg was sold, marking a proud moment for Assam’s tea industry.

Gauripur Tea Industry, Golaghat, a member of North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) produced the tea. NETA stated Aparaj Saikia and his entire team have made us proud with this achievement.


Assam Tea Traders brought the tea. Pu'er, or Pu-erh, is a post-fermented tea traditionally produced in Yunnan Province, China. It is mainly made from the large leaves of Camellia sinensis, particularly the assamica variety.

Bidyananda Barkakoty Adviser of North Eastern Tea Association stated that traditionally pressed into cakes or bricks, Pu'er develops its distinctive character through fermentation and aging. It has a deep, rich and smooth taste, with earthy and woody flavours, sometimes accompanied by subtle leathery or sweet notes.

Barkakoty said that Phalap (also spelled Falap) is the traditional tea of the Singpho community of Assam, particularly in the Tinsukia and Margherita regions. It is made from the large leaves of Camellia sinensis var. assamica. "Traditionally packed in bamboo and aged, it develops a distinctive earthy, woody and smoky character, somewhat similar to Pu-erh tea."

He added that sale of Pu-erh tea at GTAC will pave the way for the sale of Phalap tea through the public auction platform in the near future.

Under the Assam Tea Industries Special Incentives Scheme (ATISIS), 2020, the Government of Assam has increased the subsidy for the production of Orthodox and other Speciality Teas from Rs 10 to Rs 15 per kg, effective from FY 2026–27.

He said that this will encourage more production of non-CTC teas and help address the demand-supply imbalance arising from the overproduction of CTC tea.