In the CTC sale no 28 market opened to a steady note for selected improved liquoring teas which sold at firm to dearer rates. Good liquoring Assam teas also were selling at fully firm rates between Rs 98 and Rs 108 per kg. The Dooars brokens and fannings, on the other hand, sold irregular prices with often maintaining last levels between Rs 73 and Rs 83 per kg.

There were small packages of south Indian teas in offer this week which attracted good response from the buyers and ruled firm and occasionally dearer. There were 26,698 packages of CTC on offer of which about 90 per cent consumed by the market.

There were better enquiry from the West Bengal buyers. The CIS and Poland operated selectively up the levels between Rs 65 and Rs 70 per kg. Good liquoring teas absorbed by Maharashtra and Gujarat buyers while Brooke Bond extended limited support.

In the Darjeeling section, 7517packages offered. Overseas buyers were eager to buy seasonal improved quality teas. The sale met with good demand with continental buyers offered attractive prices. Germany, Japan and the UK buyers were very much active and absorbed moderate quantities of teas. Among the domestic buyers, West Bengal dealers lent useful support for fannings and brokens. The highest price, Rs 1155 per kg, was fetched by a line of Singbuly Tea Estate.

In the orthodox category, 90 per cent of 21,103 packages offered for sale was absorbed by the market. This reflected a good demand for orthodox teas. Tippy and liquoring whole leaf and brokens sorts were selling at attractive levels while stalky and plainer whole leaf were sold at irregular levels with sometimes lower. The overall whole leaf prices were levelled between Rs 68 and Rs 110 per kg while brokens ruled between Rs 85 and Rs 95 per kg, showing a handsome gain of Rs 3 to Rs 5 per kg.

The clean and well made brokens were sold at dearer rates. The selected betterliquoring fannings followed similar trends. The remainder maintained the previous levels with occasional easy trend.

Useful continental enquiry was there for tippy and better liquoring descriptions. Brooke Bond and other packateers lent better enquiry. North India's activity in the sale also improved. The CIS and West Asia, among the overseas buyers offered fair support. The Calcutta dust sale no 28 wherein 13,216 packages were put up for sale met with good demand with a sale of around 85 per cent of the offering. Medium Dooars dusts ruled firm to dearer selling between Rs 62 and Rs 82 per kg as against Rs 60 and Rs 80 per kg in the previous week.

Good liquoring Assam teas, on the other hand, were also maintaining a firm to dearer trend, depending on the quality. The prices ranged between Rs 75 and Rs 110 per kg compared to Rs 75 and Rs 110 per kg in the past week. The medium Assams, however, maintained the last level.

West Bengal along with Maharashtra and Gujarat buyers remained fairly active in thesale and lifted good liquoring teas. Selected better liquoring larger dusts were absorbed by Tata Tea. There were some enquiry from the UK for selected larger liquoring dusts.

Guwahati Sale: Guwahati sale no 29 saw a fair general demand with prices moving upwards. At the CTC section of the Guwahati sale where about 82,049 packages were put up for sale, firm to steady trends were prevailing for all sorts of teas following the quality lines. The Assam brokens sold irregularly at around last levels with grainy and better leaf varieties occasionally appreciating in values. Few smaller brokens, which sold at much higher rates during the past week, however, tended lower at times.

Grainy and clean fannings ruled firm to darer depending on quality. Remainder, however, did not fall, but maintained the last levels. Only easy trends were witnessed for some poorer and fibrous varieties. Teas from Cachar were not offered in the sale. Selective operation by the Brooke Bond were discernible. Eveready, a majoroperator, was out of the sale. Godfrey Phillips was also selective in operation with other packateers quiet. The other domestic buyers, however, were fairly active. The CIS and Poland buyers lent selective offer.

Guwahati dust sale also witnessed firm note following the good demand for all categories on offer. There were 44,198 packages of dust on offer, of which most of the teas were consumed by the buyers. Good and better liquoring dusts were selling at last levels while remainder, the primary Assam dusts, occasionally lost by Rs 2 to Rs 3 per kg in tune with the quality. The cleaner liquoring descriptions also maintained last levels. The fibrous, following the poor quality, witnessed a decline in prices. The Cachar teas were not put up for sale. Major blender was selective in their operation. Tata Tea and other packateers lent improved support. Better liquoring teas consumed by West Indian markets with other domestic buyers were active.