The Hindu Business Line : Tea prices rule easy at Coimbatore auctions

Coimbatore June 25 The total offerings at the weekly auction swelled to 6.60 lakh kgs last Friday, with leaf grades accounting for 2.16 lakh kgs and the balance of the dust.

There was fair demand for the orthodox leaf, with shippers to CIS countries extending fair support. Select invoices of clean well made Nilgiris leaf (particularly the bolder brokens and larger leaf grades) ruled occasionally dearer, others tended easier by Rs 2 to Rs 3 with some withdrawals. HLL showed interest only on select lines of larger leaf grades.

Few exporters and internal buyers operated on orthodox dust.

Restricted demand

All categories of CTC leaf witnessed restricted demand and eased in value by Re 1 to Rs 2 with some withdrawals due to inadequate bids. Exporters picked the medium/plainer bolder grades. The major blender was quiet.

Some export enquiry was evident for the medium finer CTC dust grades. Internal buyers were active with additional support from AVT/INDCO on liquoring teas. Prices for good liquoring high-priced teas saw levels easier by Rs 2 to Rs 3 while medium/plainer sorts eased Re 1 to Rs 2.

The Orthodox high-grown ranged in the Rs 52-Rs 74 price band, while the best CTC dust ruled between Rs 54 and Rs 62.