Factories will have to sell 50% tea through auction

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, Nov 23: Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry has lowered the mandatory sale of tea by bought-leaf tea factories (BLFs) through public auction system to 50 per cent.

Earlier, the Centre through a notification on April 15, 2015 had made it mandatory for BLFs to sell 70 per cent of the production through public auction system, which was seen by the industry as a blow to the interests of the farmers and small tea growers. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had also opposed the notification.