Tea board fixes green leaf price for April

Tea Board of India has announced that the district average price for green leaf during April in the Nilgiris will be ₹12.19 per kg.

Tea Board’s Executive Director Dr M Balaji said that this has been fixed based on the consolidated auction sale average of CTC teas from bought leaf factories during March.

He said that all the factories have been instructed to adhere to this average price while buying green leaf from small growers this month.

He also said that all field officials of the Board have been instructed to ensure that no bought leaf factory in their jurisdiction paid a price less than this district average in April.

This price is seven paise less than ₹12.26/kg fixed for March.

It is the lowest price over two years and the closest was in July 2018 when the price was ₹12.20.

In April last year, the average price was much higher at ₹15.98 per kg.

In any case, bought leaf factories have not manufactured tea so far this month adhering to the national lockdown called for by the Prime Minister although the district Collector has permitted tea factories and plantations to function subject to their following specific precautions against Covid-19 and with 50 per cent of the workforce.