Internal buyers and blenders drove stronger sales at the Coonoor tea auction in Sale 12. Their active buying offset caution from conventional traders, who avoided building inventory near the financial year end. Most traders prefer to enter the new year with lean stock positions.
Sale 12 Volume and Sales Performance
Global Tea Auctioneer offered 964,835 kg in leaf. Buyers purchased 78% of the offered quantity. In dust, sellers offered 286,009 kg, and buyers took 87% of available stock.
Coonoor sits in the Nilgiris hills of Tamil Nadu, southern India. The auction centre handles CTC teas — crush, tear, curl, a machine-processed grade used in blended packet teas — and orthodox teas, which processors make by hand to preserve distinct flavour profiles. Domestic blenders, exporters, and institutional buyers across Asia and Europe source regularly from this platform.
CTC and Orthodox Leaf Prices Fall
Prices fell across most leaf categories. In CTC leaf, sellers saw high-priced and better liquoring sorts drop by Rs 5 to Rs 6 per kg (approximately $0.06 to $0.07 per kg). Buyers withdrew some lots entirely. Better medium sorts lost Rs 3 to Rs 4 per kg. Weak demand defined the overall CTC leaf session.
Orthodox leaf grades also lost ground. Primary whole leaf grades dropped Rs 4 to Rs 5 per kg. Select quality lots attracted stronger interest, gaining Rs 3 to Rs 4 per kg. Brokens fell Rs 3 to Rs 4 per kg. Secondaries and fannings eased by Rs 2 to Rs 3 per kg.
Dust Segment Sees Steepest Declines
CTC dust high-priced sorts lost Rs 4 to Rs 5 per kg. Primary orthodox dust grades recorded the sharpest drop of the session, falling Rs 8 to Rs 10 per kg. Sellers pulled several lots from sale in this category.
Homedale Estate’s PD grade stood out as the session’s top performer. It sold at Rs 350 per kg (approximately $4.18 per kg). This result marked the highest price any CTC bought-leaf factory achieved across both leaf and dust categories in Sale 12.
Market Outlook
Conventional traders are unlikely to increase buying until the new financial year begins. Blenders and internal buyers will continue to support near-term demand. Their preference for premium and well-liquoring lots keeps select grades firm despite broader market softness.
Fresh leaf arrivals from the Nilgiris spring flush will shape price direction over the next 30 to 60 days. A sharp rise in volumes could push lower-grade prices down further. European tea importers sourcing southern Indian origin teas may find the current correction a useful entry point for blending-grade procurement.
