In the wake of falling prices at the tea auctions, the Tea Board in the Commerce Ministry has announced that the average price for green leaf procured from small growers in The Nilgiris district during July will be ₹16.74 a kg.
This all-time high price fixed for July is just 24 paise more than the price fixed for July last year. It is the lowest price of the last one year.
It is as much as ₹3.18 per kg less as compared to the price fixed for last month – a decline of 15.96 per cent in one month.
This means that compared to June, over 50,000 small growers will get about ₹12 less for every kg of manufactured tea this month because four kg of green leaf is generally used to manufacture one kg of made tea.
The Tea Board’s Executive Director Dr M Balaji said the price was fixed based on the consolidated auction price of CTC teas from bought leaf factories in June.
He said all bought leaf factories should adhere to this price while buying green leaf from small growers in July.
He has instructed all field officials to ensure that no factory in their jurisdiction paid less than this price to the growers this month.
The price has been fixed in accordance with Section 30A of the Tea Marketing Control Order.