Increased arrivals lift tea prices at Kochi auction

Increased arrivals lifted prices of some varieties of tea at the Kochi auctions. The market for good liquoring teas was steady to firm and sometimes dearer.

Major blenders, especially from the regional centres, were active on good liquoring varieties, while exporters and upcountry buyers lent fair support, the auctioneers Forbes, Ewart & Figgis said.

The demand was good in CTC dust in sale no 23 and the quantity on offer was 12,88,000 kg, showing an increase compared to last week. However, other categories were irregular and lower by ₹2 to ₹4 and sometimes more as the sale progressed.

With good arrivals on orthodox grades at 18,500 kg, the market for primary grades remained steady. Other categories witnessed some withdrawals. A small quantity of orthodox dust was absorbed by exporters.

In the Cochin CTC dust quotation, good varieties fetched ₹90-132, mediums quoted ₹62-94, and plain grades stood at ₹50-61.

The leaf sale also witnessed increased arrivals with 174,500 kg on offer in the Orthodox grades. The market for Highgrown Brokens, Whole Leaf, and Fannings were steady to firm. CIS countries and other exporters were active.

In CTC leaf, the quantity on offer was 66,000 kg and the market for Good Liquoring teas was steady to firm.

In dust varieties, Waterfall SFD quoted the best prices of ₹133 followed by Monca SFD at ₹132. In the leaf grades, Chamraj FOP-Sup green tea fetched the best prices of ₹307, followed by Chamraj FOP at ₹231.

Meanwhile, the Association of Planters of Kerala has called upon the State Government to encourage Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation to buy a minimum one lakh kg per week of teas produced in the state from the Kochi auction market.

This is because the producer is suffering a loss of ₹25 per kg for every kg of Kerala tea sold in the auction market. The average auction price realised by tea produced from Kerala is ₹95.59 per kg whereas the production cost is around ₹120 per kg, APK said.

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