Bangladesh tea prices slide at weekly auction

DHAKA (Reuters): The average price of Bangladeshi teas fell marginally to 190.67 taka ($2.68) per kg at the weekly auction on Tuesday, brokers said.

More than 1.33 million kg were sold, leaving 24.71 per cent of the offer, to be carried back.

Bangladeshi buyers, including exporters mainly to the Commonwealth of Independent States and Pakistan participated in the auction, held in the country’s lone auction centre in the main port city Chittagong.

“Better teas were dearer, but end-of-season type poor leaves were neglected, easing the average price slightly compared to the previous sale,” said an official of the National Brokers Limited, the largest tea broking firm in the country.

Different grades were sold between 140 taka and 238 taka per kg at the auction.

But in an exclusive sale for well-made teas some 250 kg of Churamoni Dust realised the highest price of 247 taka per kg.  The next auction will be held on Tuesday, 8 February, with more than 2.1 million kg on offer.