Agartala, September 11: Tripura tea has taken a major step towards entering the European market, with a 23.31-metric-tonne consignment dispatched from the Durgabari Central Tea Processing Factory in Agartala on Friday.
The export initiative was formally launched at a programme held at the factory premises. Tripura Tea Development Corporation (TTDC) Chairman Samir Ranjan Ghosh, Industries and Commerce Department Secretary Kiran Gitte and senior officials attended the programme.
Ghosh said the tea was processed according to international export standards and had to meet around 48 separate quality parameters before shipment.
Of the consignments dispatched on Friday, 15.3 metric tonnes were sent for the overseas market, while another eight metric tonnes were sent to Kolkata for the domestic market. The overseas consignment is being transported to Kolkata before being shipped to its final European destination.
Ghosh said demand for Tripura’s ‘Tripureshwari’ brand has been increasing outside the state and expressed hope that the export initiative would help secure larger international orders in the future.
He also highlighted government measures for tea workers, including land leases and benefits under the Chief Minister’s Tea Workers Welfare Scheme.
Ghosh acknowledged the challenges facing the tea industry but said the state government is placing greater emphasis on its development and on expanding Tripura tea’s presence in international markets.
The European-bound shipment is being viewed as an important step for Tripura’s tea industry, with potential benefits for tea workers, small growers, traders and other stakeholders.
