2 weeks ago
Jalpaiguri Handmade Tea Wins Premium Prices, Foreign Interest
Small tea growers from Jalpaiguri took special handmade teas to an exhibition in Delhi.
They hoped to find new customers and better prices.
One type of white tea sold for ₹75,000 per kilogram.
Officials from the United States Embassy bought it.
Russian buyers also purchased handmade oolong tea.
The growers make several kinds of tea, including green, black, white, blue and tulsi-flavoured tea.
They use organic manure and do not use pesticides, but making the tea takes a lot of work.
The sales made the growers hopeful that foreign buyers may place larger orders later.
A special white tea from Jalpaiguri sold for ₹75,000 per kilogram at a Delhi exhibition.
Four Jalpaiguri growers showcased products under the small growers’ brand “Teesta.”
Officials from the United States Embassy bought the premium white tea, while Russian buyers purchased oolong tea for ₹4,000 per kilogram.
The growers displayed green, black, white, blue and naturally flavoured tulsi teas, including a product called “wildlife friendly tea.”
Jalpaiguri growers carried 40 kilograms of tea, and 80 percent had been sold by Monday afternoon.
- Who
- Small tea growers from Jalpaiguri, along with growers from Darjeeling and Cooch Behar, participated; buyers included United States Embassy officials and Russian buyers.
- What
- Handmade high-value teas were exhibited and sold, including white tea for ₹75,000 per kilogram and oolong tea for ₹4,000 per kilogram.
- Where
- The exhibition took place at DLF Mall in Saket, Delhi.
- When
- The Tea Board exhibition was held on August 16 and 17; by Monday afternoon, 80 percent of the Jalpaiguri growers’ tea had been sold.
- Why
- The exhibition aimed to promote handcrafted exotic high-value tea and helped small growers seek premium prices and international buyers.
Key facts
- Exhibition
- Handcrafted Exotic High-Value Tea exhibition
- Organizer
- Tea Board of India
- Participants
- Thirty small tea growers from across India were selected; four were from Jalpaiguri.
- Highest price
- ₹75,000 per kilogram for special handmade white tea
- Other reported sale
- ₹4,000 per kilogram for handcrafted oolong tea sold to Russian buyers
- Jalpaiguri stock
- Growers carried 40 kilograms of tea, with 80 percent sold by Monday afternoon
- Brand
- Teesta, the Jalpaiguri small growers’ association brand
Quotes
Bijoygopal Chakraborty
General secretary of the Jalpaiguri District Small Tea Growers’ Association
“"Growers like us who make handmade teas use organic manure and no pesticides. The process requires considerable labour, but the products can command premium prices. This has been proved again in this exhibition where our teas fetched prices ranging from ₹4,000 to ₹75,000 a kilo."”
telegraphindia.com
“"The exhibition drew buyers from India and abroad, and a substantial portion of the tea displayed by the Jalpaiguri growers was sold."”
telegraphindia.com










