India's first matcha batch from Assam sold at auction
The first batch of Indian-manufactured matcha tea, produced at a tea estate in Assam, was sold at the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) on Friday, marking a new development in the country's tea industry.
The five-kilogram batch, produced at the Chota Tingrai Tea Estate in Tinsukia district, was sold for Rs 3,000 to a buyer based in Guwahati. Currently, matcha sold in Indian markets is imported from Japan, China, and Vietnam.
Mritunjay Jalan, director of Chota Tingrai Tea Estate, said the estate had set up a Japanese tea manufacturing facility in 2016 and had been working with experts from Japan to produce green tea. This year, the estate decided to venture into matcha production after observing a jump in demand.
Matcha, a finely ground powder of specially grown green tea leaves, has found growing demand in India, featuring in lattes and desserts at trendy cafes. The Assam tea market has been grappling with issues such as production outweighing demand, making diversification into products like matcha a potential avenue for growth.
