Tea Price Report (Week 34 – Aug. 16-22, 2025)

This is the Tea Price Report for Week 34, ending August 22, 2025.

Tea Price Report

Tea Price Takeaways

  • Quality premiums are back: Clean PF1s (Kenya) and Orthodox (Sri Lanka/Indonesia) fetched premiums. | Van Rees
  • Retail inflation picture remains mixed: India’s historic CPI trough contrasts with modest firming in the tea/coffee category in the UK/EU and U.S., keeping shelf tags sticky in those destinations.
  • Volumes high, buyers choosy: Mombasa saw heavy offerings with >40% withdrawals in an earlier August sale; Colombo’s catalogues remain large but low-growns held firm.
  • Costs & policy still matter: Sri Lanka’s wage environment and logistics/fuel dynamics continue to shape exporters’ floor prices into Q3.

 

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Podcast Transcript

India —Small-grower green leaf prices fell nearly 50% to ₹14/kg, while packaged retail eased 10–15%. Auctions in Kolkata and Guwahati edged lower. Direct estate buys slowed as processors stayed selective.

East Africa —At Mombasa, Sale 33 offered 151,600 packages. PF1s met strong demand from Pakistan and Afghan packers; withdrawals eased to 32%. Regional trade into Egypt and Yemen remained auction-led.

Sri Lanka —Colombo Sale 32 catalogued 5.5 million kilos. High Grown BOPs rose 10–15 cents; Uva seasonal teas advanced 20–30. Low Growns held firm. Private sales steady to Middle East packers.

Indonesia —Jakarta volumes light at 4,400 packages with 22% unsold. North Sumatra orthodox teas met very good demand. Direct buys are subdued, and buyers are covering hand-to-mouth.

That’s your Tea Price Report — Week 34.

For expanded coverage and occasional charts, visit www.teajourny.pub/tea-price-report

India

  • Retail prices (consumer): India’s CPI stayed at historic lows (1.55% y/y in July), but small-grower green leaf prices collapsed nearly 50% to ₹14/kg. Retail tea packs eased 10–15%. | MoSPI | Reuters | Tridge
  • Wholesale (trade sentiment): Branded players (Tata, HUL) caution margins remain tight despite cheaper leaf; import competition from Nepal and Kenya is weighing on processors. | Reuters | Economic Times
  • Auction: Kolkata weekly average ₹237.4/kg (vs ₹238.2 last week), Guwahati ₹218.8 (vs ₹220.1). | Tea Board of India
  • Direct buys: No fresh estate contracts; packers are selective, covering quality lots while delaying volume deals. | Reuters

East Africa

(Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo*)

  • Retail prices (destinations): Pakistan’s SPI (week ended Aug. 14) showed “tea prepared” +0.42% w/w. | Pakistan Bureau of Statistics
  • Wholesale (trade sentiment): Brokers note steady demand; PF1/BP1 fetching firm to dearer bids. Malawi, Rwanda firm. | Van Rees
  • Auction (Mombasa): Sale 33 (Aug. 19) offered ~151,600 pkgs. PF1s strong demand; BP1s irregular. Unsold down to 32% from 43%. | Africa Tea Brokers | Van Rees
  • Direct buys: No notable private off-auction deals disclosed. | Lanka Commodity Brokers

Sri Lanka

  • Retail prices (destinations): Ireland CPI shows “Tea” +2.5% y/y in July; Orthodox shelf tags remain elevated. | CSO Ireland
  • Wholesale (costs & sentiment): Wage-related cost pressures remain in focus. | Daily FT
  • Auction (Colombo): Sale 32 (Aug. 19–20) catalogued 5.5mn kg (vs 6mn prior). High Grown BOPs USC 10–15 dearer; seasonal Uva lines up USC 20–30. | Sri Lanka Tea Board | Eastern Brokers | LCBL
  • Direct buys: Private Sale Figures (~190,000 kg Aug 9–16) steady off-catalog demand. | LCBL

Indonesia

  • Retail prices (destinations): U.S. July CPI for “beverage materials incl. coffee & tea” +8.6% y/y. | BLS
  • Wholesale (trade sentiment): Jakarta brokers report fair demand for orthodox; plainer Java discounted. | Van Rees
  • Auction (Jakarta): Offerings of ~4,400 pkgs; ~22% unsold. North Sumatra Orthodox firm to dearer. | Van Rees
  • Direct buys: No new corporate buy programs announced. | Van Rees

Note: ChatGPT can make mistakes.

*The Mombasa Tea Auction is the world’s largest black tea auction and one of the few that is uniquely international. It handles teas not only from Kenya, which supplies about 60–65% of the volumes, but also from Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, Uganda, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, and Madagascar. The average annual volume ranges from 450 to 520 million kilograms. Mombasa is the only auction center in the world trading straight-line teas from more than one country.

Tea Price Report Archive

Week 36 (Aug. 19 – Sept. 5)
https://teajourney.pub/tea-price-report/week-36-aug-30-sept-5-2025
Week 35 (Aug. 23-29)
https://teajourney.pub/tea-price-report/week-35-aug-23-29-2025/
Week 34 (Aug. 16-22)
https://teajourney.pub/tea-price-report/week-34-aug-16-22-2025/
Week 33 (Aug. 9-15)
https://teajourney.pub/tea-price-report/week-33-aug-9-15-2025/

Dan is publisher, podcast host, and blogger. He is a frequent speaker at industry seminars and conferences (virtual and in-person). Dan was the first editor and publisher at World Tea News, worked as editor and publisher of Tea Magazine and managing editor of STiR coffee and tea. His work appears online and in many magazines. In 2016 he organized the collaborative group of tea journalists and experts who founded Tea Journey magazine and in 2021 he launched the Tea Biz podcast. He began his publications career in 1974 as a newspaper reporter.