Makaibari Tea to buy 10,000 kg annually from Darjeeling's small organic growers

The Luxmi Group's Makaibari Tea estate will purchase 10,000 kg of leaves annually from small tea growers across Darjeeling under a new brand segment called Makaibari Collective, designed to strengthen livelihoods of organic tea producers in the region.

Established brands to be consolidated

Makaibari will consolidate its Apoorva and Green Valley tea ranges, together representing a market of more than ₹10 crore, into the new Collective, according to Luxmi Group MD Rudra Chatterjee. "This new initiative is designed to strengthen the livelihoods of small tea growers producing organically grown tea across Darjeeling and build a more resilient future for the region's tea economy," he said. The collective will bring together organically grown tea produced by small farmer cooperatives across Darjeeling under the Makaibari name.

Profit-sharing and growth targets

The group has set a goal to purchase 25% of its requirements from small growers and blend them with its own production. These small growers are supposed to get an equal proportion of the total profit, while the Luxmi Group is confident to achieve a 20% boost annually with this new initiative. The new brand will be launched during Diwali with fresh packaging that will include a QR code with details of the small growers and their stories.

Quality standards and market context

Makaibari will work with participating cooperatives engaged in organic farming to establish stringent quality standards and provide training to help growers consistently meet premium and international benchmarks, Chatterjee said. The quality and price of tea supplied to the Collective will be independently evaluated by J. Thomas & Company.

There are about 2,500 small growers producing between 40,000 and 45,000 kg of tea a year in Darjeeling, which produced about 5.6 million kilos of tea in 2025. Currently, the total production of Makaibari tea is around one lakh kgs, with Japan, Germany, the U.K. and U.S. as the major export markets. Founded in 1859, Makaibari is Darjeeling's oldest continuously operating tea estate and a globally recognised producer of premium, organically cultivated Darjeeling teas.

Source: The Hindu