COLOMBO TEA AUCTION 09/12/2015

C O M M E N T S

The 48^th sale of the year which concluded today had on offer a total of 6.0 M/Kgs. there was good demand.

Ex-Estate offerings showed a marginal improvement on last and totalled a 0.9 M/Kgs. There was excellent demand. Best Western BOP’s gained Rs. 20/- per kg and more whilst the corresponding BOPF’s gained Rs. 10-20/- per kg. BOP’s in the below best and plainer categories gained Rs. 10-30/- per kg whilst the corresponding BOPF’s gained Rs. 20-40/- per kg. Nuwara Eliya’s witnessed a marginal improvement in demand for select invoices although still continue to realize lower prices in comparison. High priced Uva/Udapussellawa BOP’s of last week were firm whilst the others gained Rs. 10-20/- per kg. The corresponding BOPF’s too followed a similar trend with a Rs. 20-40/- per kg gain at the lower end of the market. High and Medium Grown CTC teas were mostly irregular following quality whilst a few select clean leaf teas gained Rs. 10-20/- per kg. Better quality Low Grown CTC teas were firm and up to Rs. 10/- per kg dearer. Here again, teas in the below best and plainer categories appreciated further.

Liquoring Off Grades and Dust Varieties gained Rs. 10-20/- per kg whilst select Western High Grown Dust 1’s appreciated further.

Indeed an encouraging sale for High and Medium Grown small leaf teas and perhaps a reaction to urgent shipping requirements.

Low Growns comprised of approximately 2.8M/kgs in the Leafy/Tippy catalogues this week. There was fair general demand. In the Leafy catalogue barring a few select best BOP1’s which were barely steady. Others and OP1’s were fully firm to dearer. Better OP/OPA’s too were barely steady. Others, where quality was maintained prices were fully firm. PEK/PEK1’s too maintained last levels. Here again the bolder types in particular gained Rs.5-10/- per kg and more. In the Tippy catalogue better FBOP/FF1’s were firm. The cleaner secondaries too were fully firm to dearer. In the Premium catalogue too well made neat leaf teas were fully firm to dearer whilst others were barely steady following quality. At this week sale shippers to CIS, Turkey, Iraq, Dubai, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia were active.