Sri Lankan tea prices steady

Sri Lanka tea prices held steady at the latest auction on Wednesday on the back of strong demand, but qualities declined across the regions.
The anticipated gross sales average was 166 rupees ($1.70) per kg, just off last week's average, Forbes and Walker Tea Brokers said in a statement.
"The teas from Nuwara Eliya sold unexpectedly well," said Gimantha Jayasinghe of the high-grown region thought to produce the island's best teas.
Teas from Nuwara Eliya gained across the board, but those from the other high-grown areas saw a mixed sale, with plainer Broken Orange Pekoes declining eight to 10 rupees and some Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings losing up to 25 rupees.
The market for low-grown teas improved overall, with Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings picking up four to five rupees and tippy teas seeing strong demand.
But poorer quality teas hurt the market.