Guwahati: An Assam-made Pu’er-style tea has fetched Rs 12,000 a kg at the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC), with the sale showing growing interest in speciality teas beyond the traditional black and green tea categories.
The latest Sheng-style batch from Gauripur Tea Industry, Golaghat, was sold at Sale 39 of GTAC through J. Thomas & Co. Pvt. Ltd. Assam Tea Traders bought the lot at a bid knock price of Rs 12,000 per kg. This is the first time it has been sold at GTAC.
The price marks a rise from the producer’s earlier speciality tea lot, which fetched Rs 9,000 a kg at the Jorhat Tea Auction Centre in 2023.
What makes the tea unusual is not just its price but its style. Pu’er is traditionally associated with Yunnan in China and is known for processing, ageing and post-fermentation techniques. Gauripur Tea Industry has adapted the concept using Camellia sinensis var. assamica, the tea variety naturally associated with Assam.
The initiative began with small batches made for personal consumption before being taken up commercially in 2023.
According to the producer, the objective is to explore what can be made from Assam’s own tea varieties through alternative processing and craftsmanship.
The latest lot is a Sheng-style tea. Unlike Shou or ripe Pu’er, which undergo controlled post-fermentation, Sheng is a naturally processed style that can develop greater depth and complexity with ageing.
For Assam’s tea industry, the experiment points to a broader possibility, creating higher-value products from the state’s tea resources instead of relying almost entirely on conventional black tea.
The producer said its speciality tea initiative was aimed at exploring and promoting Assam teas beyond the conventional black and green categories.
The Rs 12,000-a-kg auction price also comes at a time when speciality and differentiated teas are creating new avenues for producers seeking better price realisation.
Gauripur Assam Pu’er is manufactured and packed by Gauripur Tea Industry at Tetelital in Golaghat district.
The producer said its journey into the style began well before it became a commercial venture, with small quantities initially crafted for its own consumption.
The 2026 auction result is the latest indication that Assam’s tea identity is not confined to the familiar cup of black tea, and that experimentation with processing can create new expressions and potentially new markets for the state’s tea.