Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

Buyers keep off Coonoor tea auctions

By D. Radhakrishnan

Udhagamandalam Jan.9. With buyer companies up in arms against the new Tea Marketing Control Order-2003 which made it mandatory for all buyers and manufacturers to register with the Tea Board, weekly auctions witnessed a near-total boycott at Coonoor today.

According to Trade sources, with only the INDCOSERVE (apex body of the Industrial Cooperative Tea Factories in the Nilgiris) and another buyer participating, just 13,124 kg of tea leaves was sold, whereas 15,59,856 kg was on offer. Following the decision by buyers to keep off the Kolkata and Kochi auctions, a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Coonoor Tea Trade Association, held on Wednesday, decided that buyers participate in today's auctions. However the majority of them stayed away. At tomorrow's tea dust auctions, 4, 34,465 kg will be on offer.

Meanwhile various sections of the industry here have welcomed the`` long overdue'' new auction norms. The Nilgiris Bought Leaf Tea Manufacturers Association president, M. Balasundaram, said the changes in divisibility of lots, sampling, lot size, prompt date and enhancement of bids would make the auctions more competitive, leading to better price realisation. The Nilgiris Small Tea Growers Association president, M. Bhojarajan, said the new norms would ensure more transparency. "Thousands of small growers who have been in a spot, are hoping that the changes would usher in better times for them'' .

The district BJP president, N.K.Krishnamoorthy, said not only the planting community but many others here wanted the auction system streamlined.

Udhayachandran, managing director, INDCOSERVE, said the organisation would actively participate in the auctions and buy more for manufacture of the "Ooty Tea" brand.

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