Top-priced Sri Lankan teas fell at the latest auction on Wednesday while those at the bottom end of the market firmed, leaving the sales average unchanged in a market brokers said was unaffected by last week's election.
The anticipated gross sales average was 168 rupees ($1.72) per kg, from 168.57 rupees per kg last week, Forbes and Walker Tea Brokers said in a statement.
"The high-priced teas of last week came down, but there was absolutely no impact from the election," said Gimantha Jayasinghe, a broker at Forbes and Walker.
Best Broken Orange Pekoes and Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings (BOPFs) from the high-grown Nuwara Eliya region lost 15 to 20 rupees, as did teas from the Western planting region, although some poorer varieties sold at last week's levels.
Among low-grown teas, tippy types sold well, with good demand from the Middle East and Russia, while clean leaf Orange Pekoes gained.