The Hindu Business Line : All-time high prices at Coonoor tea sale

Second auctions of 2007 of the Coonoor Tea Trade Association (CTTA) here created record when the Curzon orthodox BOPD grades, auctioned by Carritt Moran and Co, were bought by Ashok Trading Agency at Rs 158 a kg.

"This is the highest price for the BOPD grades so far here. In 2006, no other grade fetched this level", the auctioneer told Business Line.

The market looked up for all grades except the plainer sorts as the demand was forceful to absorb the 11.32 lakh kg on offer. In general, prices rose Rs 3 a kg over the previous week.

Several lines of the orthodox teas from the corporate sector fetched over Rs 100 a kg. Kodanaad followed Curzon to fetch Rs 142 a kg and Prammas got Rs 141. Corsley got Rs 129, Kairbetta Rs 120, Glendale Rs 118, Chamraj and Havukal Rs 115 and Queen Shola Rs 112.

CTC teas from bought-leaf tea factories fetched over Rs 65 a kg. Darmona Estate got the highest price of Rs 90, followed by Homedale Estate Rs 87, Highfield Estate Special Rs 84, Kannavarai and Vigneshwar Estate Rs 83 and Shanthi Supreme Rs 82.

"Better medium grades sold for Rs 1-2 more. BOPFs gained a lot. Better sorts of CTC dusts fetched Rs 3-4 more", the auctioneer said.

On the export front, Pakistan bought select lines of well made teas at Rs 47-50 a kg. CIS shippers bought medium and plainer grades for up to Rs 45.

Quotations held by the brokers indicated bids from Rs 39- to 41 for the plain leaf grades and Rs 62 to 72 for the brighter liquoring grades.