Mixed fortunes at tea auctions

By Forbes and Walker Tea Brokers Ltd

Sale No. 35 concluded this week with a total volume of 5.1M/Kgs on offer.

Ex Estate offerings of 0.8M/Kgs maintained previous levels. The overall quality of teas in the western planting districts were irregular whilst Nuwara Eliya's and Udapussellawa's maintained  last week's levels; a selection of invoices from the Uva region possessed seasonal quality whilst the remainder maintained.

Best Western BOP's were irregular following quality, whilst the corresponding BOPF's were fully firm to selectively dearer. Below best BOP's were firm to marginally dearer, the corresponding, brighter BOPF's  gained Rs. 10-20/- per kg and more, whilst others were fully firm to marginally dearer. Plainer BOP's were firm to dearer, whilst the corresponding BOPF's declined upto Rs. 10/- per kg. Brighter Nuwara Eliya BOP/BOPF's in general met with good demand and gained sharply whilst others too appreciated though to a lesser extent. Udapussellawa BOP/BOPF's gained Rs. 10-20/- per kg. Uva Seasonal BOP/BOPF's met with less demand and declined sharply whilst other coloury sorts were firm to dearer.

Shippers to CIS operated on a fair cross section of teas whilst most other markets were selective

Low Growns comprised of approximately 2.5M/Kgs in the Leafy/ Tippy catalogues. There was good demand. In the Leafy catalogue, OP1/BOP1's were fully firm to dearer with the below best sorts in particular gaining Rs. 10-15/- per kg and more. OP/OPA's too gained Rs. 5-10/- per kg and more. At the lower end too prices were fully firm to irregularly dearer. PEK's though irregular were firm, whilst PEK1's were mostly dearer with a select range of well made sorts gaining Rs. 10-20/- per kg at times. In the Tippy catalogue, select best FBOP's were barely steady. Others and FF1's were however fully firm to dearer. FBOPF's too met with good demand and gained Rs. 5-10/- per kg and more. In the Premium catalogue too prices were generally dearer to last. There was good demand from Shippers to CIS, Dubai, Turkey, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.