Kolkata: The new year's first tea auctions at the Calcutta and Siliguri centres saw good demands on improved off-take by the traditional buyers and exporters. This resulted in the increase in prices, for all good and medium quality teas.The market opened to improved demand for 50,077 packages of CTC teas and prices reacted moderately for almost all teas, excepting a few lines of Doars which hardly found any taker. Good and best brokens enjoyed strong competitions and tended dearer at around Rs 88-110 a kg as against Rs 86-108 a kg past week. Fannings generally ruled at last levels with a few lines easing. Medium and plainer fannings sold irregularly dearer, by Rs 2-3 per kg over the last levels of Rs 56-74 a kg. There were a few lines of Cachar CTCs which also sold at dearer rates.
Hindustan Lever, Gujarat buyers and all domestic sections consumed major amounts of teas with moderate purchases by CIS shippers.
The Darjeeling sale also recorded a good demand and prices were moving around, excepting a few better lines of whole leaf teas which sold at much higher levels between Rs 260 and Rs 365 a kg. The other whole leaf teas were selling between Rs 140 and Rs 155 a kg showing steady trends in prices.
Prices of brokens, on the other hand, saw a slight lowering to Rs 85-170 per kg as against Rs 87-160 a kg in the past week due to a slight fall in quality.
Copyright © 2001 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
