Summary:
Kolkata: Amid concerns that CTC variety from Nepal was being sold as Darjeeling tea to the consumers, Tea Board has asked the commissioner of customs, Kolkata (land), to check the quality of brew arriving from the country at FSSAI-accredited laboratories. Arun Kr Ray, the deputy chairman of Tea Board, said the agency has sought help from a laboratory in Mumbai, which can differentiate between Darjeeling and Nepal tea. While Darjeeling produces around nine million kilogramme of orthodox variety annually, nearly an equal amount of the brew is imported from Nepal under the treaty. He had also suggested that the entire volume of Darjeeling tea produced be sold through auction, with a view to discover the real price and stop unhealthy practices. In 2019, around eight million kilogramme of Darjeeling tea was produced, of which four million kilogramme have been exported..