Tea Price Sees Marginal Increase

Coonoor: Tea prices have reported only a marginal increase of 92 paise per kg on the average in the sale centres of the country in the first seven months of this calendar. An analysis of the price trends available with the Tea Board displays that during January-July, tea prices increased marginally to an average of Rs 65.65 a kg from Rs 64.73 in the same period of last year. In the South, prices averaged Rs 51.66 a kg this year up Rs 2.16. In the North, however, they declined by 48 paise to an average of Rs 71.99. In the North, the steepest fall of Rs 1.26 a kg happened in Guwahati to dip to Rs 67.90, while Siliguri prices declined 71 paise to fell to Rs 65.55. Kolkata was almost flat at Rs 79.55, while Jalpaiguri posted an increase of Rs 1.91 a kg to Rs 66.13. In the South, Kochi reported the country's highest increase of Rs 5.22 a kg to increase to Rs 57.68. Coimbatore auctions averaged Rs 49.14, up Rs 1.14. Teaserve auctions held in Coonoor posted the steepest decline of Rs 1.25 a kg to dip to Rs 43.93. Producers in the Nilgiris who chose to send their teas for auctions through Teaserve in preference to the CTTA auctions got Rs 2.48 lower per kg.