Guwahat: First 'work from home experience' at GTAC tea auction on July 1

Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) will sell the brew in online bidding for the first time in the history of the industry from July 1, an exercise it called the "work from home experience".

All stakeholders will participate from their respective homes, GTAC secretary Priyanuz Dutta said.

Guwahati is currently under complete lockdown for 14 days since June 28 following the recent surge in COVID-19 positive cases in the city.

The quantity on offer at GTAC sale number 27 scheduled for Wednesday is 4.55 million kgs and it is expected that there will be approximately 180 bidders, he said on Tuesday.

"Sale no. 27 of GTAC, scheduled to start on July one, is going to be the first of its kind as the entire sale will be a work from home experience for each and every stakeholder involved, be it a buyer or a broker", Dutta said in a release.

The prices achieved at GTAC between sales 13 to 26 this year have been attractive with an average price of Rs 225 per kg as against an average of Rs 148 per kg for the same period in the previous year, he said.

In sale 26 last week, GTAC achieved an average price of Rs 265 per kg as against an average of Rs 157 per kg for the corresponding sale last year.

GTAC, the release said, "leads the way yet again to set up the perfect example on how to move ahead even if faced with difficulties." "We look forward to an active participation and the continued support from our registered buyers to make this sale historic in more ways than one", Dutta added.