The Guwahati Tea Warehousing Association (GTWA), the body of tea traders, buyers, packers, and retailers of tea in Assam, has welcomed and extended support to the Commerce Ministry and Tea Board’s decision to conduct a 100 percent dust tea auction trial for three months.
The central government recently issued an order mandating a 100 percent auction of dust tea grades from North India.
Amending the Tea (Marketing) Control Order, 2003, the Ministry of Commerce issued a gazette notification and said that the Tea (Marketing) Control (Amendment) Order, 2024, shall come into force with effect from April 1, 2024.
“We are thankful to all the concerned, who have made this possible, which we have been asking for so long. We are more than sure that this will go a long way in discovering the fair price of teas for the industry. We once again express our gratitude for this act,” GTWA President C Chaliha said on Monday.
As per the amended order, 100 percent of dust-grade tea manufactured in a calendar year in its manufacturing units located in the geographical area of the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal, is to be sold through public tea auctions. This does not apply to a mini tea factory.
The notification follows a meeting between Union Commerce Minister, Piyush Goyal, and stakeholders of the industry in early January.
In Assam and West Bengal, about 25 percent of production is dust tea.
GTWA further said that
In the year 2019-20, total arrival at Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) was 226 million kgs, and in the year 2023-24, it was 201 million kgs, and this year, it is 179 million kgs.
“Warehouses registered under GTAC handled these arrivals without any discomfort. A clamour spread by a section of the industry doubting the storage facilities of warehouses at Guwahati. We want to reiterate that warehouses will rise to the occasion and will do their best to accommodate the increased arrivals at the Guwahati Auction Centre,” it added.
The association further said that it will leave no stone unturned to store the increased arrivals and will do its best to provide our unstinted and personified services to the point of fault to our clients.
