Dibrugarh: The first auction at the Jorhat Tea Auction Centre was held on Monday, marking a new platform for upper Assam’s tea trade.Initiated under Tea Board India, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the inaugural sale began at 3 pm in the presence of Kaziranga MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, Jorhat district commissioner Jay Shivani, Assam Industrial Development Corporation chairperson Santanu Pujari and Tea Board India deputy director of tea development for the North East Zonal Office, Dina Moni Kakati.Twenty-eight sellers and 22 buyers participated directly in the auction. The centre is expected to provide tea producers in upper Assam with easier access to organised tea markets and strengthen the region’s participation in the tea trade.“The Jorhat Tea Auction Centre is an important development for the tea sector of upper Assam. It will provide local producers, particularly small tea growers, with better access to the organised tea market and create new opportunities for them to participate directly in the auction process,” Tasa said.He said the centre could strengthen the position of upper Assam’s tea-producing communities by bringing the auction process closer to production centres.Shivani said the facility would strengthen the region’s tea economy and encourage greater participation by local stakeholders.“Jorhat and the surrounding areas have a strong tea-growing ecosystem. The establishment of an auction centre here will provide an important platform for producers, buyers and other stakeholders and will help strengthen the local tea economy,” Shivani added.The inaugural programme showcased teas produced by small tea growers, farmer-producer organisations and local entrepreneurs. Organic and artisanal speciality teas were also displayed.The displays highlighted the region’s focus on quality, innovation and value-added tea products. Organisers said the participation of small growers and local enterprises demonstrated the potential of locally produced teas to reach wider markets through an organised auction platform.
