The Tea Board has fixed the district average green leaf price for September at ₹15.82 per kg in Nilgiris district, based on the consolidated auction average of CTC teas from bought leaf factories during September.
All bought leaf factories in Nilgiris district are to adhere to this price while settling green leaf payments with suppliers. The board, in a release said all the field officials should ensure that no bought leaf factories in their jurisdiction pay less than the above average price per kg for September.
Meanwhile, in the Coonoor tea auctions, Homedale Estate – SRD fetched the best price of ₹310 in the CTC dust grades in sale 39. The quantity offered in dust grades was 5,25,623 kg, while in leaf it was 14,84,435 kg. Of this, 76.96 per cent of teas were sold in the total leaf offerings, and 68.77 per cent in dust offerings.
Global tea auctioneers said less demand was noticed in the overall CTC dust sale.
The high-priced and better liquoring sorts were lower by ₹2 to ₹3. The better medium sorts had less demand and sold easier by ₹2-₹3 more, with some withdrawals.
South India August output dips
In leaf orthodox, the primary whole leaf grades had fair demand and sold lower by ₹2-3 and more at times in line with quality. The brokens also witnessed fair demand and sold firm to dearer by ₹3- ₹4 and more at times in line with quality.
Referring to tea production in South India, Rajesh Gupta, Managing Director, Global Tea Auctioneers, said it witnessed a decline of 2.32 million kg at 14.27 million kg in August, compared with 16.59 million kg in August 2021. All the other major black tea-producing countries such as Sri Lanka, Kenya, Bangladesh and Malawi produced lesser tea from January to August this year.
North India produced 166.43 million kg in August, against 155 million kg in the corresponding period of last year, an increase of 7.35 per cent.