Darjeeling tea would soon be offered for electronic auction after some software glitches were sorted out, the Calcutta Tea Traders Association said on Wednesday. "e-auction of Darjeeling tea has not been yet introduced because the product cannot be standardised. Each variety of Darjeeling tea is unique," chairperson of the Tea Traders Association, Sangita Kichlu, said at a news conference here.
Kichlu said there were also some glitches in the software which NSE.IT (information technology arm of NSE) was being looked into.
"We hope that e-auction in Darjeeling tea would be introduced in the next financial year," she said.CTC and orthodox variety were being sold through the e-auction route. At present 55 per cent of total tea produce of around 1,000 million kilograms were being routed through the e-auction route.
CTTA, an association of buyers, brokers and sellers, was celebrating its 125th year of existence.
Kichlu said Russia was now emerging a strong orthodox market and would partly compensate the loss the Iranian market due to the payments crisis.