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L.N. Revathy

COIMBATORE, Feb. 27

THE high-grown speciality tea, Katary Silver Tips, has once again fetched a record price. This time, the speciality tea leaf was bid for a phenomenal Rs 590 per kg at the Kochi auction on Wednesday. This is against Rs 401 per kg in January 2002.

Forbes Ewart and Fibgis Private Ltd marketed about 120 kgs of Katary Silver Tips. The offering was absorbed fully by Trinity Trading for exports to Germany, trade sources told Business Line. This is the second time in the last two months that such speciality teas have been brought to the market for sale.

Raised in an elevation of over 6,000 feet above sea level in the Nilgiris, this high grown orthodox speciality tea has come from the Katary Estates belonging to the AVT Group.

The AVT Group owns two estates in the Nilgiris— Katary and Sutton estates, spread over a total area of about 1,500 acres.

The Senior Manager (Operations) of Katary Estate, Mr K.P. Magudapathy said the Group was into production of various grades of orthodox teas, but it was early days yet to go in for 100 per cent speciality tea.

"Unless we take to speciality teas, it will be impossible to survive in the existing scenario. We have just started the exercise', he said.

According to Mr Magudapathy, all the teas raised in the group's gardens were suited for the manufacture of such speciality grades of tea. "But we can't convert it into this type cent per cent. We have other grades too. Besides, these premium grades will have to be handled and nurtured very carefully and there is tremendous work involved. Without exploring the market feasibility, we cannot expand. So we are planning it in a gradual and phased manner," he added.

The speciality teas, apart from being routed through auction, were also being marketed directly.

To a query on the market situation, Mr Magudapathy said: "we are also encountering a lot of problems. But to survive and sustain, you need to carve a niche. And that is what we are aiming to do."

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