This week at Sale Number 12 at Kolkata tea auction, there were no offerings of Darjeeling while orthodox sale resumed after a gap of two weeks and CTC sale after one week.
The average price of orthodox at Rs 141.49 a kg was lower than Rs 193 at Sale Number 9 (as there were no offerings at Sale Nos. 10 and 11) and the average price of CTC was more or less unchanged at Rs 137.20 (Rs 137.16 at Sale Number 10 as no offerings at Sale 11), according to J. Thomas & Company Private Ltd, the tea auctioneers.
The total offerings (packages) of this week at the three auction centres at Kolkata, Guwahati and Siliguri were 44,708.
At Kolkata, the offerings comprised CTC/dust 23,650 (no sale last year) and orthodox 3,732 (no sale); Guwahati 9,363 (no sale) and Siliguri 7,963 (6,253).
Small weight of Assams maintaining quality met with good enquiry and sold at firm to dearer rates. Remainder eased in value following the decline in quality. Selected good Dooars maintaining quality sold at around last levels while the remainder were irregularly easier.
Small weight of new season Dooars on offer at Siliguri met with fair demand and levels were generally lower than the corresponding levels of the previous year.
Exporters operated on the bolder brokens. Selected cleaner orthodox offerings were readily absorbed. Stalky varieties were irregularly lower. The CIS and Middle East West Asian shippers operated. Fair support came from local dealers.
There was no Darjeeling sale this week.