The Hindu Business Line : Tea prices firm at Coonoor auction

re-entering the market even as the corporate buyers like Hindustan Lever Ltd (HLL), Duncans and Tata Tea strengthened their purchase spree, the prices for the teas at the auctions conducted by the Coonoor Tea Trade Association (CTTA) here generally rose by Rs 5 a kg over the previous week.

HLL continued to operate forcefully on the medium and better medium teas, especially, the cleaner, blacker and smaller grades for exports.

The also chose the good liquoring types. Tata tea was selective, but Duncans bought for the western Indian markets.

"The best high grown orthodox brokens got Rs 5 a kg more. Smaller fannings were up by Rs 6. The better liquoring CTC brokens and plainer CTCs were dearer by Rs 2. Good liquoring CTC dusts were up by Rs 3. Clean black dusts got Rs 2 more. Plainer CTC dusts were Rs 3 dearer", noted the market report of the Joint Brokers.

Overall, an increased volume of around 75,000 kg out of the 12.06 lakh kg offered for sale, got more than Rs 60 a kg.

Darmona Estate continued to fetch the highest price of Rs 85 a kg among the bought leaf CTC teas. Vigneshwar estate, Highfield and Hittakkal Estate came a distant second at Rs 70.

On the average, while the plain dust grades got Rs 37 a kg, the better ones fetched Rs 49. For the next sale, a volume of 12.42 lakh kg comprising 8.77 lakh kg of leaf and 3.65 lakh kg of dusts has been catalogued.