19th TGLIA first-level tea screening held at UPASI, Coonoor

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UPASI, jointly with the Tea Board, is organising the 19th edition of The Golden Leaf India Awards: Southern Tea Competition (TGLIA). The first-level screening of teas for the 19th edition of TGLIA was held at UPASI, Coonoor.

Arun Kumar, convener of the Organizing Committee, said the tea fraternity in South India eagerly looks forward to this annual competition, which over the last 19 years has helped immensely to showcase the quality teas of various regions of South India all over the world.

Following the success of 18 editions of TGLIA and recognising the need to continue the competition to sustain the quality renaissance of the South Indian tea industry, the theme of the 19th edition of TGLIA is “TGLIA Teas for Markets.”

It is also proposed to hold a series of auctions for TGLIA-type teas, the first of which would be for the teas participating in the 19th edition of the competition.

124 entries

For the 19th edition of TGLIA, 124 entries were received from 38 estates/factories in the different agro-climatic regions of Nilgiris, Wayanad, Anamallais, Travancore, High Ranges, other minor tea-growing regions, and Bough Leaf Factories.

A five-member jury comprising Dipak Shah, Chairman, South India Tea Exporters Association, Coimbatore, Manoj Gangadharan of Tata Consumer Products Ltd, Kochi, Poovandhran, R of J. Thomas & Co P Ltd, Coonoor, Raghu, K.K. of Paramount Tea Marketing (SI) P Ltd, Coonoor, and Sriram, and N of Global Tea Auctioneers P Ltd, Coonoor, representing exporters, packeteers, and auctioneers, evaluated the teas that had entered the competition.

Selecting the best teas from various agroclimatic regions is based on a multi-layer screening process using a scoring system that objectively captures the various quality attributes of tea, such as dry leaf appearance, infused or spent leaf appearance, and liquor attributes such as colour, taste/flavour, briskness, and strength.

The teas qualifying for the first screening level will also be screened for pesticide residue parameters and heavy metals in the NABL-accredited laboratory of UPASI Tea Research Foundation. The format and protocol for the competition were exhaustively detailed to ensure total transparency and de-mutualisation.

The final tasting session is scheduled for April in an upcountry market, and the TGLIA teas auction will be held on April 22.