The Hindu Business Line : Steady trend at Kochi tea sale

Arrivals to the Kochi tea auction was lower at 9.81 lakh kg of dust and 3.18 lakh kg of leaf this week. Best quality and popular CTC varieties remained barely steady. Good liquoring CTC varieties tended to be dearer while poorer quality CTC tended to ease. Orthodox dust high grown remained steady and medium orthodox barely held their price.

Good liquoring CTCs witnessed fair demand from blenders and the loose tea trade. Exporters were active on some select grades.

Best CTC varieties quoted Rs 65-75, medium CTC fetched Rs 50-58 while below medium ranged at Rs 30-35. High grown BOPD fetched Rs 100, medium BOPD quoted Rs 40 and secondaries were at Rs 27-32.

Leaf Sale

Despite the good general demand high grown orthodox bolder brokens and primaries just remained steady. Whole leaf grades were irregular. Medium orthodox grades were steady. Poor orthodox grades witnessed less demand and tended to quote lower. Good liquoring CTC were steady and sometimes dearer. Other CTC varieties tended to ease. Orthodox grades witnessed good export enquiry.

Best Nilgiri varieties quoted Rs 82-97, medium orthodox was at Rs 44-72 and plain orthodox fetched Rs 40-41. Best CTC leaf was at Rs 47-58 while medium CTC leaf ranged at Rs 40-45.

Top Prices

Kodanad BOPD fetched the to price in the dust segment at Rs 100 followed by Pasuparai SFD at Rs 78, Chinnar SFD at Rs 77 and Pasuparai/Monica SFD at Rs 76. In the leaf category Sutton GFOP quoted the top price at Rs 130, followed by Chamraj FOP at Rs 129, Craigmore FOP at Rs 126 and Craigmore FP at Rs 126.