Rs 1 lakh for a kilo of tea? Rare variety auctioned in Assam

A rare variety of tea in Assam created history as it was sold at a whopping price of Rs 1 lakh per kilogram on Tuesday at Guwahati Tea Auction Centre. 

Manohari Gold Tea premium quality orthodox tea originates from an estate in eastern Assam's Dibrugarh district. The tea derives its name from the golden hue that it yields when brewed, as mentioned in a report in ANI.

"The Manohari gold is a very special tea. The procedure of making this tea is different. Apart from CTC tea, we have started making different types of tea like white tea, green tea, yellow tea. There is a demand for a special tea, and we are planning to increase the production of such tea. We will also be getting more money from this, benefitting small farmers," said Bidyananda Barkakoty, Adviser, North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) told the news agency.

The tea estate crushed its own previous record when it was auctioned for Rs 75,000 per kg of the Manohari Gold tea variety in 2020. 

The three estates under the Manohari group produce about 25 lakh kg of tea annually and make about five kg of loose-leaf tea produced using traditional tea production methods.

Manohari Gold created its first record in 2018 when the variety was sold for Rs 39,001 per kg to become the most expensive tea sold in any auction centre in the country. In 2019, the same variety fetched Rs 50,000 per kg.