KATHMANDU, April 30: With the beginning of the tea picking season, foreign tea merchants have started coming to Ilam. Tea connoisseurs and tea traders from third countries come to Ilam to taste and see the quality of tea.

On the occasion of the 27th Tea Day on Saturday, 'Tea Tasting' was organized in the tourist area of Antu by the National Tea and Coffee Development Board (NTCDB). Tea tasting was attended by tea connoisseurs from India, Japan, China and America. They also bought tea on the occasion of tea tasting.

For the first time in Nepal, orthodox tea has been sold through auction. The tea was sold at Rs 10,000 per kg through 'demo auction' at Kanyam in Ilam. An American citizen bought 'orthodox black tea' at the rate of Rs 10,000 per kg. Jenny, an American citizen, bought five kg of orthodox tea for Rs 50,000 at auction.

The farmers of the tea produced by the Suryodaya Tea Producers Association set a price of Rs 1,000 per kg. At that price, buyers from America, China, Japan and Russia increased the price to Rs 10,000 per kg.

In the world market, tea is bought and sold through auction. Farmers complain that the tea produced by Nepali farmers is being sold at a cheap price in the Indian market. Farmers have been demanding that their tea should be directly exported to third countries including Nepali tea.