Tripura

Tripura Tea

The cultivation of tea in Tripura was started entirely by Indian enterprise, unlike in other parts of the country where British planters had taken the lead. Tripura has a history of tea plantations dating back to the year 1916 when the erstwhile ruler of the princely state of Tripura, Maharaja Birendra Kishore Manikya, granted leases of extensive land for tea cultivation exclusively to Indian planters. Thus, tea cultivation started in Tripura in the first quarter of the twentieth century owing to the industrious efforts of some Indian entrepreneurs, with the active encouragement of the state, as opposed to the other places in the country, where it was mainly propagated by European planters. Tea is the second largest organized industry in the state of Tripura after Rubber. The state receives annual rainfall of about 2100 mm uniformly distributed throughout the year and the temperature varies from 10 degrees Celsius to 35 degrees Celsius. The soil of the state is generally fertile. Thus, the agro-climatic condition of the state is suitable for tea cultivation. Mainly CTC tea is produced in Tripura, with a small amount of green tea being also produced. The nearest auction centre is Guwahati in Assam.