Tripura inaugurates first tea auction centre to cut costs, boost growers' earnings

Guwahati: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Thursday inaugurated the state’s first tea auction centre in Agartala.

The Tripura Tea Development Corporation Limited (TTDCL) Chairman Samir Ranjan Ghosh, said the tea auction centre aims to strengthen the marketing network for Tripura tea, reduce transportation costs and the time required to sell tea consignments, and help growers secure competitive prices for their produce.

The foundation stone for the tea auction centre was laid in March 2024 as part of efforts to strengthen the state’s tea industry and improve marketing facilities for local producers.


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According to Ghosh, Tripura currently has 54 large tea gardens and around 2,800 small tea growers, collectively producing approximately 9 million to 10 million kg of tea annually.

The TTDCL chairman said that selling a tea consignment currently takes around 44 days, but the corporation expects the new auction facility to reduce the time by approximately 40 per cent.

TTDCL Managing Director Rajesh Kumar Das, who was also present at the inauguration ceremony, described the occasion as a defining moment for the state's tea industry and its stakeholders, including growers, manufacturers, bought-leaf factory operators, tea estate owners, workers and traders.

“The Agartala Tea Auction Centre has been established with one clear purpose, to place the tea stakeholders of the state at the centre of a transparent, efficient and rewarding marketing system,” Das said.

At present, a major portion of Tripura's tea is transported to auction markets in Guwahati and West Bengal for sale, resulting in additional transportation expenses and higher marketing costs for producers.

The establishment of an auction centre within the state is expected to facilitate better coordination between sellers and buyers, reduce transportation expenses and improve price realisation for tea producers and others associated with the sector.

More than 60 per cent of the state's tea production is currently marketed through auction centres outside Tripura, highlighting the importance of developing an effective local auction system.

With the inauguration of the Agartala Tea Auction Centre, the state is seeking to strengthen its tea marketing infrastructure, reduce dependence on external auction markets and create better opportunities for growers to obtain competitive prices for their produce.

The initiative is expected to provide a major boost to Tripura's tea industry by bringing key marketing activities closer to producers and creating a more efficient trading environment within the state.