Records tumble at 2012’s final tea auctions

At the final tea auction for the year concluded this week, a line of St. Coombs Dust 1 Grade (Inv No.518) was sold at an all-time record price of Rs. 700 per kilo, Forbes and Walker Tea Brokers said.

The buyer of this line of tea was L.G.W. Perera & Company owned by Akalanka Devinda Perera, a reputed buyer of high quality Dust Grades.
St. Coombs Estate, situated in the famous Dimbula Valley, reputed for its quality and flavour, is managed by Tea Research Institute of Sri Lanka and owned by the Sri Lanka Tea Board. St. Coombs has been richly rewarded for the consistency of its product and has the second highest sale average for the year in the High Grown category.
At the same sale, an invoice of Diyagama West FBOP (Inv. No. 468) too achieved an all-time record price of Rs. 740 per kilo. This invoice of tea was purchased by Union Commodities Ltd. on behalf of Ahmed Teas of London.
Diyagama West is situated in the eastern most end of the western highlands of Agrapathana District bordering Horton Plains and has consistently offered Leafy FBOPs for sale, which has fetched attractive prices throughout the year. Diyagama West is owned by Agrapathana Plantations Ltd. and managed by Lankem Tea & Rubber Plantations Ltd.  The brokers for Diyagama West and St. Coombs tea is Forbes & Walker Tea Brokers Limited.
In a related development, produce broker John Keells Ltd., said two all-time record prices were established by the Company at the tea auction held last week for a PF1 and a DUST1 grade.

Dunsinane Estate, which is managed by Elpitiya Plantations PLC, achieved a price of Rs. 500 for a PF1 grade in the CTC High Grown category, whilst Mattakelle Estate, managed by Talawakelle Tea Estates PLC, secured a price of Rs. 670 for a Dust 1 invoice.