Some 23 per cent of the 13.40 lakh kg offered at Sale No: 33 of Coonoor Tea Trade Association auctions remained unsold for want of buyers at asking prices.

Among CTC teas, Pekoe Dust of Homedale Estate, auctioned by Global Tea Brokers, topped the market when Raj Traders bought it for Rs 185 a kg. Five grades of Homedale fetched over Rs 173 a kg. Vigneshwar Estate got Rs 173, Shanthi Supreme Rs 172, Crosshill Estate and Hittakkal Estate Rs 168 each and Deepika Supreme Rs 162. In all, 71 marks got Rs 125 and more .

Corsley orthodox dust tea (Rs 275) was the only one to cross Rs 200-a-kg mark. Kodanad got Rs 195, Hi ghfield Estate Rs 192, Havukal Rs 186, Kairbetta Rs 183, Chamraj Rs 179 and Sutton Rs 171. In all, 30 marks got Rs 125 and more .

Exporters to Pakistan paid a wide range of Rs 65-103 a kg and to the CIS, Rs 63-96.

Quotations held by brokers indicated bids ranging Rs 62-65 for plain leaf grades and Rs 115-150 for brighter liquoring sorts. They ranged Rs 66-74 for plain dusts and Rs 120-165 for brighter liquoring dusts.

“The prolonged agitation on Telangana issue in Andhra Pradesh, frequent stir in Kerala over solar panel issue, the ongoing agitations in Bihar, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir – all affect smooth transport of purchased teas from the Nilgiris. We are unable to operate in some of the quality-conscious high-paying upcountry markets. This restricts our bids at Coonoor auctions,” a buyer told Business Line .

“The tensions across Indo-Pak border and the political agitations in Egypt, Iraq, Iran and Israel affect our exports,” an exporter said.

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