Guwahati: A speciality Pu’er tea cake produced in Assam was sold for Rs 12,000 per kg at the Guwahati auction centre, marking what officials described as a proud moment for the state’s plantation sector.CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said in a post on X that the sale showed Assam tea was finding new ways to command a premium. “An Assam-made Pu’er tea cake from Gauripur Tea Industry, Golaghat, fetched Rs 12,000 per kg at the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre, marking a significant moment for Assam’s evolving tea industry,” Sarma said.“Gauripur Tea Industry, owned by Aparaj Saikia, is a member of our association. The sale of the tea at this price marks a proud moment for Assam’s tea industry,” North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) adviser Bidyananda Barkakoty said.Pu’er, also known as Pu-erh, is a post-fermented tea traditionally produced in China’s Yunnan province. It is made mainly from the large leaves of Camellia sinensis, particularly the Assamica variety.Traditionally pressed into cakes or bricks, Pu’er develops its distinctive character through fermentation and ageing, yielding a deep, rich and smooth taste with earthy and woody flavours.Barkakoty said the sale of Pu-erh tea at the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre would pave the way for the sale of Phalap tea through the public auction platform in the near future.Phalap is the traditional tea of the Singpho community, residing in Tinsukia and Margherita. It is also made from the large leaves of Camellia sinensis Assamica.Barkakoty said under the Assam Tea Industries Special Incentives Scheme (ATISIS), 2020, the state govt has increased the subsidy for orthodox and other speciality tea production from Rs 10 to Rs 15 per kg, effective from the 2026–27 financial year.“This will encourage more production of non-CTC teas and help address the demand-supply imbalance arising from the overproduction of CTC variety,” he said.
