The produce of Darjeeling’s Castleton tea estate belonging to the Goodricke Group has commanded highest price so far this year for Darjeeling tea.

In a private sale (Invoice DJ 93), organised here a few days ago by J Thomas & Company Pvt Ltd, the tea auctioneers, seven packages of Castleton tea (Grade Moonlight) totaling 56 kgs were sold at the rate of Rs 7200 per kg, entirely for exports. The buyer was D C Ghose & Company, the old tea trading and export house.

Meanwhile, the prime second flush produce of Halmari tea estate located in Moran district of Assam and belonging to Mr Sunil and Amit Daga, continues to attract high price. At the Sale Number 24 at the Guwahati auction on Tuesday (today), the Halmari offerings ( Grade BP, J Thomas catalogue), comprising 12 bags totaling 331 kgs, attracted a price of Rs 336 per kg, highest so far for Assam CTC tea. The buyer was Guwahati-based Prashad Tea House that bought the tea for its clients in Maharashtra. The previous highest price of Assam CTC, recorded last week also in respect of the produce ( BOP grade) of the same garden, was Rs 303 per kg.

At Tuesday’s (today) auction at Guwahati, 11 bags totalling 303 kg of BOP grade of Halmari tea ( J Thomas catalogue) were sold at Rs 303 per kg, the last week’s highest price. The buyer was Amit Ashish, a Guwahati-based tea trading firm, that bought the tea for its clients in Rajasthan.

santanu@thehindu.co.in

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