Electronic Catalogue Anatomy • Invoice Codes • Valuation Decoders

How to Read an Indian Tea Auction Catalogue: A Comprehensive Technical Guide

Authoritative commercial and educational reference detailing origin procurement architecture, auction mechanics, quality standards, and logistics workflows in Indian bulk tea.

Tea Knowledge Hub Auction Buying Guide Origin Sourcing Desks

Auction Catalogue Reference

• Framework Focus: Technical Procurement & Industry Reference Guide
• Geographic Scope: Deconstructing field codes, package notations, invoice marks, and broker valuations in Indian e-auction catalogues
• Procurement Standard: Auction procurement conducted strictly through authorized buying channels; estate alliances verified through lot-by-lot cupping.
• Quality Governance: Sensory evaluation under ISO 3103 protocol, digital moisture testing, and independent laboratory MRL screening.

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Anatomy of an Indian Tea Auction Catalogue: Key Data Fields Explained

In the Indian commercial tea trade, the Auction Catalogue (published electronically as an e-catalogue by authorized auction broker houses) is the primary legal and commercial document describing every lot offered for public bidding at auction centres like GTAC (Guwahati), STAC (Siliguri), and CTTA (Kolkata).

To an untrained observer, an auction catalogue appears as an intimidating spreadsheet of abbreviations, alphanumeric codes, and numeric weights. However, to experienced professional tea buyers, each line item reveals the complete genetic, agricultural, and processing biography of a tea lot.

Understanding how to read, cross-reference, and evaluate these catalogue fields is essential for making sound commercial procurement decisions.

Deconstructing Catalogue Columns: Field by Field

While minor formatting variations exist between broker firms, standard Indian auction catalogues contain the following foundational fields:

Catalogue Field	Sample Entry	Technical Meaning & Buyer Significance
Lot Number	`Lot 1042`	Unique identifier assigned to the specific parcel for the current sale session; used during electronic screen bidding.
Garden Mark	`HALMARI`	Statutory registered trade name of the tea estate or Bought-Leaf Factory producing the tea; establishes brand reputation and agro-climatic origin.
Sub-District	`Dibrugarh / Upper Assam`	Specific geographic origin verifying terroir, rainfall pattern, and agricultural conditions.
Invoice Number	`C-42 / 2026`	Chronological factory batch number ("C" denotes CTC; "OR" denotes Orthodox). Identifies early, peak, or late-season plucking.
Grade Mark	`BOP / BP / TGFOP`	Mechanical sieve sizing and particle classification. Defines whether the tea is primary whole leaf, broken, fannings, or dust.
Packages & Type	`40 MPS (Paper Sacks)`	Number of containers and packaging material (Multi-wall Paper Sacks, Poly-lined woven sacks, wooden chests).
Weights (Gross/Tare/Net)	`Net: 1,400.0 kg`	Official weighed kilogram totals. Establishes the exact commercial quantity invoiced and freight calculation basis.
Warehouse Code	`WH-04 (Beltola)`	Licensed storage facility holding the physical tea where samples were drawn and where post-sale upliftment must occur.

Every entry must be cross-checked against physical tasting notes before assigning bidding limits.

Decoding Packaging Codes and Special Notations

Auction catalogues contain specialized shorthand notations that provide critical context regarding physical storage and processing history:

GP (Garden Packed): Tea packed into final export containers directly on the producing estate. Represents pristine single-estate traceability.
BLF (Bought-Leaf Factory): Indicates tea manufactured in an independent factory processing green leaf bought from smallholder farmers rather than an estate garden.
RE-OFF (Re-Offered): A lot previously catalogued and withdrawn because bids fell below the reserve price. Requires scrutiny for potential moisture absorption or loss of freshness during extended storage.
ORG / BIO: Denotes certified organic production; requires verification of valid organic certification scope certificates before export authorization.
CLONAL: Denotes teas manufactured exclusively from selected high-yielding, high-quality vegetative clones (such as TV-1, P-126, or B-157) rather than mixed seedjat bushes.

Recognizing these codes prevents buyers from purchasing lots unsuited to client processing standards.

Broker Valuations and Pre-Auction Pricing Dynamics

Alongside physical specifications, auction catalogues include a Broker Valuation (or valuation price band). Understanding how this figure is derived is vital for commercial bidding strategy:

How Broker Valuations Function in Practice

Sensory Appraisal: Broker tasters cup the official warehouse draw sample, scoring its dry leaf bloom, liquor briskness, body, and infusion color against historical benchmarks.
Market Alignment: The valuation factors in the prices realized by comparable grades and gardens in the preceding week’s auctions.
Starting Price Foundation: During the live electronic auction, the valuation often serves as the anchor point around which the broker opens initial bidding.
Buyer Valuation Disparity: Experienced buying desks do not accept broker valuations uncritically; rather, they perform independent internal valuations to identify undervalued gems or flag over-valued lots.

By maintaining independent cupping benches, our tasting team frequently identifies lots where market valuations do not reflect true commercial blending value.

Synthesizing Catalogue Data with the Tasting Bench

A successful auction procurement desk functions by creating a seamless bridge between the printed (or electronic) catalogue and the physical tasting bowl:

Prior to every sale, our master tasters line up hundreds of sample tins matching catalogue lot numbers. As each sample is infused under the strict ISO 3103 protocol (2.83 grams, 100°C boiling water, 5.0 minutes extraction), our tasting sheet records:

Visual Dry Leaf Score: Grain size uniformity, blackness, fiber count, and twist.
Liquor Density & Briskness: Optical brightness, rim color, astringency, and depth of body.
Target Price Limit: The maximum rupee-per-kilogram figure authorized for bidding during the live electronic sale session.

To learn more about the physical mechanics of drawing representative samples, read our companion guide on Tea Lot Sampling Protocols, or explore our Commercial Tea Procurement Cycle.

Sourcing & Procurement FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions: How to Read an Auction Catalogue

What is an invoice number in a tea auction catalogue and what does it reveal?

An invoice number (e.g., "C-14" or "OR-08") is the official chronological manufacturing batch identifier assigned by the tea factory to a specific production lot. It indicates the manufacturing sequence within the season, the leaf style (CTC vs. Orthodox), and allows buyers to cross-reference the exact plucking date and weather conditions during manufacture.

What does the notation "GP" or "NP" signify in an auction listing?

"GP" stands for Garden Packed, indicating that the tea was packed into its final commercial packages directly at the estate factory. "NP" stands for Non-Packed, indicating bulk tea packed elsewhere or re-bulked before warehouse arrival. Commercial export buyers almost universally prefer GP lots due to guaranteed single-factory origin integrity.

How is a broker's catalogue valuation established before an auction sale?

A broker valuation is established by a licensed broker's professional tasters after conducting organoleptic cupping of the official warehouse draw sample. The valuation reflects the lot's leaf appearance, tip presence, liquor briskness, body, prevailing market supply, recent transaction history for the estate, and current buyer demand.

What does it mean when a lot is marked as "Re-Offered" or "Second Sale"?

A "Re-Offered" notation indicates that the lot was put up for auction in a previous sale but remained unsold (declared "Out") because bids did not reach the producer's reserve price. Buyers inspect re-offered lots with extra diligence to verify that warehouse storage has not caused moisture gain or loss of sensory briskness.