Active support from foreign buyers, especially from the Middle East and CIS countries, has pushed up the prices of the traditional leaf at the Kochi auction, leading to an increase in the sales percentage.
The market for whole leaf and broken items witnessed a strong feature in Sale 3 and was appreciated with long margins of Rs 5 to Rs 10 and sometimes more of inferior quality. Auctioneers Forbes, Ewart and Figgis said good and medium whole leaf and broken prices were strong to expensive and showed an upward trend. The quantity offered in Orthodox Patti was 2,42,390 kg, registering 92 per cent sales.
Traders said there was good buying from Russian buyers, which is common during the January and February months. However, the Iran market was subdued due to the ongoing unrest in that country.
Anil George, president of Tea Trade Association of Cochin, said traditional tea is likely to perform better due to supply-demand imbalance and continued buying interest from Middle East markets. Tea market sentiment is expected to remain strong or stable till the second week of February. After this, some improvements can be seen before Ramadan and Lent.
Overall tea prices rose during January due to strong domestic consumption, expansion of tea formats and sustained buying interest in retail and auction channels, he said.
The strong trend reflects the convergence of rising consumer demand, changing drinking habits and reduced availability, which was clearly visible in the improved auction price benchmarks. The growing popularity of premium tea shops, café-style tea concepts and special offers have supported steady buying, translating into strong demand at the auction stage. At the same time, supply constraints and seasonal production patterns kept the market tight, he said.
The CTC Dust market was fair with high prices and the popular marks from Kerala barely held steady and had a tendency to decline. Well brewed teas were strong and sometimes expensive. All the blenders together absorbed 68 per cent of the proposed quantity of 5,84,882 kg. Nominal export inquiries were seen at lower levels in the market.
Published on January 23, 2026
