Tea Rules Steady In Kochi, Flat In The North-East

Orthodox and crushed tear curl (CTC) leaf tea prices ruled steady at the Kochi auctions this week on a strong demand, but prices in the north-east auction centres were flat-to-easy on a decline in the quality of offerings.

With bomb blasts and tension gripping Coimb-atore and adjacent Coonoor, expo-rters were active at Kochi, leading to a firm trend in the prices. But at Calcutta and Guw-ahati, increased offerings besides the inferior quality of the consignments had an effect on the prices.

In Calcutta, CTC good brokens were flat at Rs 108/116 a kg, medium CTC brokens easy-to-flat at Rs 95/100 and plain ones flat at Rs 82/89 a kg. Their fannins were also flat-to-easy with good ones being quoted at Rs 104/109, medium at Rs 92/98 and plain ones at Rs 82/88.

 

Orthodox good whole leaf were easy at Rs 100/115, while medium ones were flat at Rs 85/95. Orthodox good broken leaf were also flat at Rs 92/100 and medium ones were steady at Rs 89/92.

In Guwahati, price of almost all varieties declined. While good Assam brokens eased to Rs 102/105 a kg, its fannings was steady at Rs 98/104 a kg and dust declined to Rs 104/108.

Medium Assam brokens were also quoted lower at Rs 96/98 a kg, fannings ruled steady at Rs 92/96 a kg and dusts easy at Rs 92/96/. Plain Assam dust, too, declined to Rs 85/90.

Prices of all Cachar tea declined with brokens being quoted at Rs 86/90 a kg, fannings at Rs 80/84 and dust at Rs 80/84.

In Kochi, prices of most varieties rose on good demand with orthodox whole leaf rising to Rs 110/130 a kg, large Nilgiri broken to Rs 98/102, large medium broken to Rs 92/94, smaller Nilgiri broken to Rs 95/102 and smaller medium broken to Rs 91/94.

Plain broken rates dipped to Rs 74/77, Nilgiri fanning increased to Rs 95/102 and medium fanning to Rs 85/91. In the CTC section, large medium broken was up at Rs 85/87 as also smaller medium broken. Prices of most varieties of dusts increased during the auctions, except for good superfine, medium peroke and medium super red.

Offerings at Kochi is expected to rise this week amidst tension continuing in the western districts of Tamil Nadu.