Special tea auction held to raise funds for Assam CM Relief Fund: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on October 5 said a special tea auction was organised in Guwahati to raise funds for the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, bringing tea producers and buyers together for the welfare initiative.

Speaking in Guwahati, Sarma said the auction provided an opportunity for stakeholders from the tea industry to contribute to a larger social cause.

“A special tea auction to contribute funds for the CM Relief Fund was organised. This gives an opportunity for the buyers and producers to come together and contribute to a bigger cause. I thank everyone for participating in the auction,” Sarma said.

The initiative comes against the backdrop of Assam’s longstanding tea economy, with the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) serving as a key marketplace for tea produced in Assam and other parts of the Northeast.

The auction centre brings together tea producers, brokers and buyers, facilitating price discovery and connecting tea gardens with domestic and wider markets. Its official platform lists hundreds of buyers, brokers and warehouses associated with the auction ecosystem.

The special auction also comes at a time when Assam’s tea sector is seeing growing interest in premium and speciality varieties. In September, an Assam-produced Pu’er-style speciality tea fetched Rs 12,000 per kg at GTAC, marking a notable sale of a non-traditional tea variety through the auction platform.

GTAC has also recorded substantial trading activity in 2026. More than 106 million kg of tea was sold through the centre between April 1 and September 25, with the average price reported at around Rs 241 per kg during the period.

Tea remains a major source of livelihood across Assam, supporting workers, families and businesses linked to tea gardens, processing, trading and transportation.

The state government has also introduced measures aimed at strengthening the sector. The revised Assam Tea Industries Special Incentives Scheme, notified in September, includes incentives for tea exports and greater support for Orthodox and specialty tea production.

Improved connectivity is another focus for the tea economy, with the proposed Guwahati-Tezpur Corridor expected to strengthen links between tea-producing regions and major markets and potentially reduce logistics costs.

Against this backdrop, the special auction for the CM Relief Fund has brought Assam’s established tea-trading network into a public welfare initiative. Sarma thanked the producers and buyers who participated in the auction, saying their involvement allowed the industry to contribute collectively to a cause beyond its regular commercial activities.