Colombo Tea Auction celebrates 130 years
View(s):The Colombo Tea Auction, considered the oldest and largest tea auction centre in the world, on Tuesday celebrated its 130th anniversary.
In a statement, Forbes & Walker Tea Brokers (Pvt) Ltd. said it was proud to be one of the pioneering brokering firms in Ceylon as it was then known, and has been associated with the Colombo Tea Auctions since 1885. It said Somerville & Co in 1878, M/s Forbes & Walker in 1881 and Keell & Waldock which later became John Keells Ltd were the original brokers.
An extract from the ‘Ceylon Observer of 30th July 1883 reads as follows: “First Public Sale of Tea in Colombo – This came off at the Office of M/s Sommerville & Co. Ltd, this afternoon. The result shows that there are Buyers, but that there is still a considerable difference between Sellers and Buyers idea of prices, which will rectify itself. We congratulate M/s Sommerville & Company on being the first to start a local sale and trust there will be long and prosperous succession.”
Forbes said there is no record of auctions after this date until 1885 when Forbes & Walker catalogued and auctioned 14 lots.
Since then however, the Colombo Tea Auctions have grown from strength to strength, and on 26th July 1983, at the Centennial Tea Auction 5.2 million kg consisting 5,398 lots were auctioned.
At Tuesday’s auction which marked the 130th anniversary, there were 8,124 lots represented by 6.4 million kg of tea.
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