Tripura has begun a fresh push into the global tea market with a 15.31-metric-tonne consignment leaving Agartala on Friday. The Tripura Tea Development Corporation dispatched the premium tea from its Durgabari processing factory after it cleared around 48 quality parameters. The shipment is headed to Kolkata, while its final overseas destination remains undecided.
Key Takeaways:
- A 15.31-metric-tonne consignment of premium Tripura tea has begun its journey towards overseas markets.
- The export tea cleared around 48 quality parameters before dispatch from the Durgabari Central Tea Processing Factory.
- Tripura is preparing to launch a tea auction centre to improve market access and returns for the state’s tea industry.
Tea industry of Tripura has taken a significant step towards international markets with the dispatch of its latest premium-quality consignment.
The 15.31-metric-tonne shipment left the Durgabari Central Tea Processing Factory in Agartala on Friday. It is currently headed to Kolkata. Officials have not yet finalised its final overseas destination.
Tripura Tea Development Corporation chairman Samir Ghosh said the tea underwent extensive quality checks before dispatch.
The export consignment had to clear around 48 different parameters, Ghosh said. The corporation specially prepared the tea to meet the requirements of overseas markets.
“This is not simply a shipment of tea,” Ghosh said while highlighting the quality of the product and the work behind it.
He also credited tea workers and employees for their contribution. Their labour, he said, would now receive recognition in international markets.
Two consignments leave Durgabari
The Friday programme involved two separate consignments.
The export-bound shipment contains 15.31 metric tonnes, or 15,300 kg, of tea. Another eight-metric-tonne consignment is travelling to Guwahati for the domestic market.
Together, the two consignments account for 23.31 metric tonnes of tea.
Ghosh said the corporation regularly sends tea to different markets. However, the latest shipment carries added significance because of its quality and overseas focus.
The export initiative forms part of a larger effort to establish Tripura tea in international markets.
Tripureswari brand gains demand
Ghosh said tea produced by gardens and factories under the Tripura Tea Development Corporation is gradually gaining wider recognition.
Demand has also increased within Tripura. The corporation supplies tea through ration shops, where the product has received a strong response, he said.
According to Ghosh, many people in the state were previously unaware of the distinctive quality of Tripura tea. The growing demand is changing that perception.
The Tripureswari brand is also gaining popularity outside the state, he said.
The corporation now wants to take this growing recognition to the international market. The latest export consignment marks an important part of that effort.
Tea workers receive greater focus
Ghosh also highlighted the state government’s recent focus on the tea sector.
He referred to the distribution of land pattas to tea workers and benefits under the Chief Minister’s Tea Workers Welfare Scheme.
The scheme covers tea workers under 22 categories of benefits, he said. Ghosh described the initiative as a historic step for workers in the sector.
He credited Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha with closely monitoring the tea industry and supporting measures to strengthen it.
Despite the recent progress, Ghosh acknowledged that the industry still faces several challenges.
The government and the Tripura Tea Development Corporation are working to address those issues while expanding the market for Tripura tea.
Tripura prepares for tea auction centre
A major step under consideration is the launch of a dedicated tea auction centre in Tripura.
Ghosh said Dr Manik Saha had proposed the auction centre to NITI Aayog. NITI Aayog agreed to the proposal, he said.
The Tripura Tea Development Corporation is now working to make the centre operational.
The facility could address a key problem faced by tea producers. At present, producers often depend on markets outside Tripura to sell their tea. The system can delay payments.
A tea auction centre within the state could provide a more direct marketing channel. It could also help connect producers with more buyers.
Auction centre work reaches final stage
Preparations for the proposed auction centre have reached an advanced stage, Ghosh said.
A final meeting is scheduled in Guwahati on September 14. The registration of participants will follow the meeting.
The corporation will then finalise a date to begin the auction process.
Ghosh said the auction centre could benefit almost every section of the tea economy.
Tea workers, garden owners, traders and transport operators could gain from the new system. Ancillary businesses could also find new opportunities. The facility could create additional employment in the state.
He said Dr Manik Saha has continued to follow up on the proposal since submitting it to NITI Aayog. The Chief Minister has regularly sought updates on the progress of the initiative.
Export push aims for better prices
Ghosh said Tripura’s tea has the quality and taste needed to compete in wider markets.
Direct access to overseas buyers could help the industry secure prices that better reflect that quality, he said.
The latest shipment could therefore open the door to future orders. Ghosh expressed confidence that international buyers may place more orders once they experience Tripura tea.
The state now wants to build on the export opportunity while improving its domestic marketing system.
The European-bound initiative and the proposed auction centre represent two sides of the same strategy. One seeks to expand Tripura tea’s global footprint. The other aims to give producers a stronger market mechanism at home.
For Tripura’s tea industry, the immediate goal is clear: turn growing recognition of its quality into sustained domestic demand, overseas orders and better opportunities across the sector.
