The Hindu Business Line : Rise in volume at Coimbatore tea auction

Volumes offered at the weekly tea auction have started to rise with the offerings touching 8.83 lakh kg at sale No 47, which concluded on November 24. Leaf grades amounted to 3.83 lakh kg and the rest was dust.

There was fair demand for orthodox leaf grades. High grown brokens ruled lower by Rs 2-3/kg, while selected well-made whole leaf and larger teas quoted dearer at occasional intervals. Medium varieties eased in value by Re 1 - Rs 2, but a fair amount of the volumes on offer remained unsold. Shippers to Iraq offered fair support on medium teas.

Orthodox dust also witnessed some withdrawals. Internal buyers absorbed most of the teas.

The demand was better for CTC grades with the leaf witnessing good demand. Upcountry buyers were selective on liquoring teas while CIS exporters operated on medium bolder grades. Pakistan exporters lent fair support for the better-made smaller grades and Iraq buyers operated at the lower end of the market.

CTC dust was selling around last levels. The medium and plainer sorts ruled easier by up to Rs 2 except few lines of clean black bolder grades. While AVT was selective, Indco lent additional support to liquoring teas.

Orthodox high growns continued to rule between Rs 77 and Rs 84, while the best CTC teas quoted in the Rs 48-51 price-band.