Kolkata: You have heard of storm in a teacup, but this one brewed a record.
Halmari Tea Estate, spread across 374 hectares in the plains of Upper Assam, on June 12 fetched a record price for its crush, tear and curl (CTC) variety, surpassing its own benchmark.
The tea, auctioned by J. Thomas & Company, sold for Rs. 336 a kg, the highest so far for CTC tea. It was also Rs. 33 higher than what CTC tea from the same garden had fetched recently at an auction center in Guwahati.
Another highlight of June 13 auction was that the 331kg of Assam Broken Pekoe grade — bought by the Guwahati-based Prasad Tea House — was entirely for domestic consumption.
“This is an indication that domestic buyers don’t mind paying for good-quality premium tea,” a spokesperson for J. Thomas & Company said.
