GUWAHATI: Tea Board of India has directed the tea gardens under its umbrella to go for production of quality tea as the operations in tea estates have resumed despite the COVID-19 lockdown as per relaxation provided by the Central government on condition that social distancing and other mandatory protocols are maintained.
The Tea Board has asked the tea manufacturing gardens to produce quality tea/teas in compliance with FSSAI norms and stated it will carry out quality checking of tea offered in the auction.
Meanwhile, Guwahati Tea Auction Buyers’ Association (GTABA) has welcomed the Tea Board advisory for making quality tea. “ In the past we have noticed due to poor quality tea offered in auctions teas were even sold at Rs 50/55 per kg. Now all the tea manufacturers should obey Tea Board advice to make quality tea so that buyers are ready to give remunerative prices,” GTABA secretary Dinesh Bihani said.
“Due to excess production of low quality teas, the auction prices were down in season 2019-20 when sometimes it became difficult to sell teas at all.
“Now this year due to COVID-19 pandemic, Indian export may get affected and due to lockdown all the restaurants, dhabas and tea stalls have remained closed for more than a month. Obviously, so consumption of tea has taken a hit. If the tea industry could not maintain quality and reduce production of low quality tea, the prices in the auction may not increase. This is a golden opportunity to make good quality tea/teas which will fetch good prices that is crucial for survival of tea industry,” the GTABA official said.
