Tripura Tea Planters Rejoice as State Gets Its Own Auction Center

The century-old tea industry in Tripura is poised for rejuvenation as the state government plans to establish an auction center, aiming to secure better prices for finished tea products. Currently, tea planters in Tripura are compelled to sell their products at auction centers in Guwahati or Kolkata. The decision to set up the auction center at Durgabari Tea estate in West Tripura received approval from a NITI Aayog team that recently visited the state.

Chief Minister Manik Saha, in a meeting of the Tripura Institution for Transformation (TIFT), disclosed the plan, addressing a long-standing demand of the state's tea planters, who collectively produce 90 lakh kg of tea annually. The Tripura Tea Development Corporation Ltd (TTDC) expressed support for the government's decision, anticipating that the auction center would enable tea planters to fetch reasonable prices for their products.

TTDC Chairman Samir Ghosh highlighted the need for additional incentives, such as transportation subsidies and state GST benefits, to attract buyers from beyond the state. With 60 tea estates in Tripura—42 privately owned, 13 operated by co-operative societies, and the remainder belonging to TTDC—the industry plays a significant role, providing direct and indirect employment to around 80,000 individuals. In 2018, Tripura's tea received its logo and brand, known as Tripureswari Tea. The forthcoming auction center is seen as a crucial step to enhance the competitiveness and economic viability of Tripura's tea industry.