Sikkim tea sells for Rs 16,000/kg

Kolkata: Marking one of the highest prices in India this year, one kg of Selimbong clone tea from Temi Tea Estate in Sikkim was sold at Rs 16,000 per kg to one Mr Marco, a large regular Canadian buyer. The previous highest price was Rs 8,000 per kg, which was for first flush tea.

Temi Tea Estate, Sikkim, known for its world famous second flushes popularly termed as summer Temi flush has started being plucked and manufactured at the garden for the ongoing season, in its new avatar, top company officials said.

“The tea sold to the Canadian buyer was made for the first time in the electrical dryer without charcoal, thus, adding to the organic value of this high quality orthodox tea. The bouquet of muscatel fragrance delicate flavoured Temi summer flush is every tea connoisseur’s desire,” said Arijit Dutta of Temi Tea.

It may be recalled  that Temi second flush won gold medal at World Tea Awards championship at Hangzhou China, where it stood first among 530 tea samples from across the world.

The Temi Tea Estate, spread over an area of 376 hectare and located in the southern parts of Sikkim in the Northeast India, is the only tea garden in the state established in 1969 and is still owned by the state government. It seems well set to tap the US tea market with its range of offerings.

The teas produced by the Temi Tea estate are packaged (0.250 kg or 0.55 lb) under many brand names. The brand name "Temi Tea" is of the best quality consisting of pure tea ‘golden flowery orange pekoe (TGOFP1).

The next in quality is the popular brand of 'Sikkim Solja' followed by 'Mystique' and 'Kanchan-jungaTea'. It is also sold in the form of 'Orthodox dust tea'.