Tea Board fixes green leaf price at ₹14.45/kg for May

The Tea Board of India has announced that the district average price for green leaf during May in the Nilgiris will be ₹14.45 a kg.

Tea Board’s Executive Director M Balaji said that this price has been fixed based on the consolidated auction sale average of CTC teas from bought leaf factories during April.

He said that all bought factories have been instructed to adhere to this average price while buying green leaf from small growers this month.

He also said that all field officials of the Board have been instructed to ensure that no bought leaf factory in their jurisdiction paid a price less than this district average in May.

This price is ₹2.26 more than ₹12.19 a kg fixed for April. This was the highest price in the last 11 months, the previous high was in June 2019 at ₹15.43 a kg. In May last year, the average price was higher at ₹15.75 a kg.

In the first fortnight of April, most bought leaf factories did not manufacture tea as they drifted to lockdown mode following the national call to fight Covid-19.

Besides, the Coonoor Tea Trade Association conducted only one auction in April-Sale No: 13 on April 20. This was earlier scheduled for March 26 and 27.