A volume of 9.17 lakh kg has been catalogued for Sale No: 12 of the Coonoor Tea Trade Association, scheduled for Thursday and Friday. This is some 36,000 kg less than last week’s offer and among the lowest volumes in many weeks.

Planters contend that some areas affected by the frost of January have not yet come into bearing stage. Nearly half of the 586 hectares identified by the UPASI Tea Research Foundation as hit by frost in The Nilgiris have suffered severe damage.

Of the 9.17 lakh kg offered, as much as 8.11 lakh kg belongs to CTC variety and only 1.06 lakh kg to the orthodox variety. The proportion of orthodox teas continues to be low in both leaf and dust grades.

In the leaf counter, only 64,000 kg belongs to orthodox while 5.35 lakh kg, is CTC. Among the dusts, only 42,000 kg belongs to orthodox while 2.76 lakh kg is CTC. In all, 5.99 lakh kg belongs to Leaf grades and 3.18 lakh kg to Dust grades.

Homedale Estate’s Pekoe Dust tea, auctioned by Global Tea Brokers, topped the entire CTC market last week when Tea Services India Pvt Ltd., bought it for ₹283 a kg. In the CTC Leaf tea auctions, Homedale Estate’s tea, auctioned by Global Tea Brokers, topped at ₹249. Among orthodox teas, Kodanad dust grade, auctioned by Global Tea Brokers, topped not only the orthodox market but the entire auctions, including all grades of CTC teas, when Kushal Tea Co bought it for ₹297 a kg – just ₹3 short of the next highest bracket of ₹300/kg

Quotations with the brokers indicated ₹88-92 a kg for plain Leaf grades and ₹130-145 for the best grades. For plain Dust grades, they ranged between ₹88-97 and for the best grades, ₹130-150.

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