Kolkata: Darjeeling tea has started the season on a strong note with prices of a kilo of premium variety of first flush teas fetching a price of Rs 31,000, which is Rs 4,000 per kilo higher than last year's first flush teas. The production of Darjeeling first flush tea has been less this March due to an erratic weather condition created by a long dry spell followed by heavy showers for one week.
Golden Tips, a leading Darjeeling tea company, has sourced and purchased the new season’s exotic Darjeeling spring tea from Goodricke Group’s Badamtam tea estate at record prices. Golden Tips procured the Organic White tea at Rs 31,000 per kg. This particular lot of tea was plucked from a section of the estate which is planted with the top quality clone SY – 1240. This tea variety has a chunky white tips appearance, bright green infusion, and a fruity peach-like flavour. The company has bought 5 kgs of Organic White Tea.
These high-priced teas are mainly meant for export to global markets like Europe and Japan.
This tea was harvested a few days back from the estate situated at an elevation of around 4500 ft. above sea level. The terroir of the region which involves a special combination of sunshine, moisture, soil quality, and wind, imparts a unique character and quality to the tea. The fine tender buds and succulent leaves that have grown after a long winter dormancy are carefully plucked by specially trained pluckers and then transported in bamboo baskets to the garden factory.
Madhav Sarda, managing director of Golden Tips said, “We have sourced high-class teas from reputed tea gardens over the last few decades. We are glad to once again procure the most exotic Spring tea from the Badamtam tea estate. Our common vision of providing a world-class tea experience to tea lovers all over the globe has made us natural partners and our relationship goes much beyond mere sourcing of teas”
At the heart of this association is Golden Tips’ “Direct Sourcing” model to procure straight from producers and to ensure that farmers get optimum realization. This creates a significant positive macro-impact in the form of improved amenities and better living conditions for the tea workers. This also insulates producers from the volatility of auctions as Golden Tips assures them of round-the-year offtakes. For consumers, it means top-quality, garden-fresh teas sourced directly from the tea estates within days of harvest and at the correct prices.
Darjeeling tea estates now produce 6.5-6.8 million kg of teas annually. Of this, 20 percent comprises first-flush teas. Out of the rest 80 percent of teas, another 20 percent comprises second flush teas, and 60 percent is known as rain teas.
