With active blenders’ participation, good liquoring medium tea varieties in CTC dust category was firm to dearer at Kochi auction this week.

However, high-priced tea varieties were irregular and sometimes lower and the quantity on offer was 10,69,000 kg in sale no 18. Plain grainier varieties were steady to firm while powdery types eased.

There was subdued demand from exporters and upcountry buyers, auctioneers Forbes, Ewart & Figgis said.

In orthodox grade, the market was barely steady and tended to ease. With low arrivals, the quantity on offer was only 8,500 kg.

In Cochin CTC dust quotation, good varieties fetched ₹105-140, mediums quoted ₹95-116 and plain grades stood at ₹90-98.

In leaf sale, the market for Nilgiri brokens and whole leaf in orthodox grade was lower with longer margins of ₹10-15 and sometimes more. The quantity on offer was 138,000 kg.

However, in CTC leaf, the market for good liquorings was steady to firm and sometimes dearer. Of the quantity of 75,500 kg on offer, exporters and upcountry buyers absorbed the bulk of the CTC sold.

In dust grade, Pasuparai RD quoted the best prices of ₹156 followed by Injipara RD at ₹151. In leaf category, Chamraj FOP-Sup (Green Tea) came to the top quoting ₹331 followed by Chamraj OP at ₹296.

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