HAPPENING - 4:

TEA GIFT PACKS FOR DEEPAVALI, CHRISTMAS, NEW YEAR & PONGAL

BY P S SUNDAR.

It is festive season now and hence gifting season as well.   While corporates and individuals are busy scouting for gifts to be given to their business associates and dear ones, for the first time ever, they have a new option of gifting premium Nilgiri teas in specialised packs with signature tags highlighting their identity.

“This is a unique offer. The packs are garnishing!  The tins are cute and reusable for long.  There is value-addition as consumers can enjoy up to four varieties of the Nilgiri teas.  I tasted some of them and believe that they are a wonderful gift during the forthcoming festive season”, Frank Miller, American writer on tea and coffee industry, told me.

He received the first Festive gift pack of four square tin boxes of Avataa teas flavoured with natural essence of tulsi, vanilla, cardamom and cinnamon at Billimalai Estate.

“This is a fine gift as the receivers can enjoy four varieties of quality teas at one go”, Miller said.

Frank Miller (right) receiving the First Gift Avataa Tea Pack from Vejayashekara.

“We have come out with 13 varieties of festive gift packs containing premium Award winning Avataa teas manufactured from the hand-picked tea leaves with the quality enhanced due to high location of 6,000 feet above mean sea level in Billimalai Estate”, Avataa Beverages Speciality Tea Production Executive ENR Vejayashekara, who released the Festive Gift Packs, said.  He can be contacted on phone: 94430 46111. 

“The consumer packs include Avataa teas which have won Golden Leaf India Award of Tea Board and UPASI, the tea which recently created history by fetching Rs 2,086 a kg at Coonoor auctions as the highest-ever price in the whole of South Indian auctions, the one which had fetched Rs 11,500 a kg at Nilgiri winter speciality tea auction, as also those which have won international awards”, Vejayashekara disclosed.

“These are green and black teas in consumer-friendly small boxes with affordable prices.  Tea Board had distributed some of our teas at Olympics in the past.  We had also successfully launched Valentine Gift Tea.  But, this is the first time varieties of premium Nilgiris tea are being offered exclusively as festive gifts for Deepavali, Christmas, New Year and Pongal”, Avataa Beverages Director Udayakumar said.  

“Corporates can use these gifts with their signature logos under the theme, ‘Be different; gift different’ stressing on Prime Minister’s ‘Make in India’ concept”, he added.

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

PRICES -- 9:

GLOBAL TEA PRICES RISE

P S SUNDAR

Tea prices in public auctions in all countries so far this calendar have increased over the corresponding period of 2016 except in North India, reveals our analysis of the Market Reports of various auction centres across the globe.

Sri Lankan teas have fetched the highest average price of US $ 4.06 a kg, significantly higher than $ 2.80 got in 2016.

Rwanda teas came next at $ 3.15 a kg, up from $ 2.49 in 2016.

Kenyan teas got $ 2.99 a kg, up from $ 2.38 in 2016, while Bangladesh got $ 2.32, up from $ 2.15.

All others got less than $ 2 a kg.   Indian teas fetched an average price of $ 1.91, almost flat to $ 1.90 got in 2016.   Here, South Indian average price rose to $ 1.58 a kg from $ 1.54 but North Indian prices dropped to $ 2.01 from $ 2.06.

In the South, all auction centres posted a higher average price except Coonoor.   Kochi got $ 1.84 (2016: $ 1.74), Coimbatore $ 1.52 ($1.46), Coonoor $ 1.38 down from $ 1.43.   Teaserve in Coonoor fetched the world’s lowest average price of $ 1.31 a kg ($ 1.24).

also reachable by clicking :: 

 http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/markets/commodities/global-tea-auction-prices-rise/article9889313.ece

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

HAPPENING -- 3:

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE NILGIRI PLANTERS' ASSOCIATION 

(articles in The New Indian Express)

R Rajkumar, Group Manager, Glendale Estate group, has taken over as Chairman of the Nilgiri Planters’ Association (NPA) for 2017-18.

T V Varghese Vaidyan, General Manager, The Coonoor Tea Estates Co Ltd., has assumed office as Vice Chairman.

The other members of the Executive Committee are: K Jagan Thimaiah (Thiashola), K C Ponnappa (Kotada), Mohamed Iqbal (Chamraj), T Gundan (Robroy), George Varghese (Mailoor), K S Nanjappa (Kil Kotagiri), K P Aiyappa (Dunsandale), K Karthiknarayan (Havukal), Pralav Bhansali (Kairbetta), DVM Premkumar (Kamalin), Sanjay George (Katary), Shanmugavel (Glenmorgan) and L Narayanan (Erinkadu).

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

PRODUCTION -- 25:

INDIA HEADING FOR ANOTHER RECORD IN TEA PRODUCTION

BY P S SUNDAR

Indications are that India is heading for yet another record production in tea in 2017.

“Tea Board has now released the data for July which shows 4.05 per cent rise in the North over July 2016 to reach 136.54 million kg (mkg) and a marginal 1.30 per cent fall in the South to dip to 19.05 mkg”, Rajesh Gupta, compiler of annual Global Tea Digest, told me. 

This meant that in July, the country’s production rose by 3.36 per cent to reach 155.59 mkg.

“Our compilation shows that in the seven months, India produced 598.74 mkg against 574.57 mkg in Jan-July 2016”, Gupta said.

This meant that India produced 24.17 mkg or 4.21 per cent more tea than in the seven months of 2016.

If this trend continues, the country will create yet another record in production which is likely to hover around 1,290 mkg against last year’s 1267 mkg.   For the past few years, India has been creating new records year after year. 

Cumulatively, both North and South have produced more tea so far this calendar, thanks to good weather.

North Indian production has risen by 8.70 mkg to reach 462.17 mkg.  Assam continues to top the production table at 283.75 mkg (down 2.57 mkg).

South Indian production has risen by 15.47 mkg to reach 136.57 mkg. Here, Tamil Nadu’s production increased by 13.54 mkg to reach 98.50 mkg.  Kerala produced 2.06 mkg more to reach 35.12 mkg.

also reachable by clicking:

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/india-heading-for-another-record-in-tea-production/article9850384.ece

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

FOR THE RECORD - 36:

More Health benefits of tea..

Post-GST blues continues in Coonoor and Coimbatore auctions ..

Tea Board reduces the district average price for green leaf...

India's tea production increases..

Nilgiris tea output rises..

Global black tea production falls..

Will Kenya's loss mean gain for India?

(articles in Aug 2017 issue of The Assam Review & Tea News)

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

FOR THE RECORD:  35

Golden Leaf top price by Avataa..

Vigneshwar gets Golden Leaf award in all 13 editions ..

Darmona does hat-trick in Golden Leaf Award ..

Silent Woods Resorts in Kodanad road ..

Migrant labour joining Tamil workers for Mariamman festival in Billimalai ...

(article in Contemporary Tea Time, April-June 2017)

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

FOR THE RECORD -- 34:

FLOODS IN ASSAM..

GORKHALAND ISSUE AFFECTS DARJEELING TEA...

MAN-ANIMAL CONFLICT IN NILGIRIS TEA FIELDS..

GST CHALLENGES..

HIGHER PRODUCTION IN THE NILGIRIS..

MORE TEA IN INDIA ..

LESS BLACK TEA IN THE WORLD MARKET..

(articles in The Assam Review and Tea News, July 2017)

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)