Tea is the most popular beverage in the world after water. Tea coming from Darjeeling region, North India is recognized as one of the most exotic and finest tasting teas in the world. Darjeeling 1st flush emerges following winter & early spring is an extremely healthy & a flavourful tea. As ET Markets had reported, Darjeeling green and white teas, whose price varies from Rs 3,000 -Rs 10,000 (Roughly USD 42 – 140) per kg, have received Geographical Indication (GI) tag for the domestic market, which will put to rest any doubt about their authenticity and quality.

Both these premium teas have been registered as a Geographical Indication in the country with effect from October 24, 2019, which means that any teas sold as Darjeeling white and green teas in the domestic market without GI will not be considered authentic teas. As Kaushik Basu, secretary, Darjeeling Tea Association (DTA), have mentioned “Darjeeling black tea is already registered as GI. Since the demand for Darjeeling white and green teas is increasing in the domestic market, we thought that these two varieties also be protected under GI. Accordingly, the Tea Board took steps to register these two varieties under GI,”

Tea Board India is the registered proprietor of GI for Darjeeling tea. Geographical indications mean indications which identify a product as originating from the territory of a member, or a region or locality in that territory, where a given quality, reputation or other characteristic of the product is essentially attributable to its geographical origin.

The annual Darjeeling green tea production volume is around 1 million kg. The 87 tea estates in Darjeeling hills produce 8.5 million kg of tea per year.

The DTA secretary said that they have also initiated steps to register both Darjeeling white and green teas under Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) for the world markets.

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References

1. Original Post: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/commodities/news/darjeeling-green-white-teas-get-gi-backing/articleshow/72103877.cms
2. More Info: http://www.teaboard.gov.in/