National tea sales see mixed start to 2025

Wednesday, 12 February 2025 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

January tea sales average up in rupee terms, dip in dollar terms
All elevations witness dip in rupee terms YoY except for high grown tea

The national tea sales average saw a mixed start to 2025, with modest increase in rupee terms, whilst registering a slight dip in dollar value reflecting currency fluctuations and shifting global demand.

The NSA for January rose to Rs. 1,185.43 ($ 4.03) from Rs. 1,184.82 ($ 4.05) in December 2024. However, despite the marginal rupee gain, dollar value slipped by $ 0.02 month-on-month. When compared year-on-year (YoY), the picture is mixed. The January 2025 average is lower by Rs. 89.88 compared to January 2024, but higher by $ 0.03, indicating the rupee’s depreciation has somewhat cushioned the industry’s earnings in foreign currency terms.

Cumulatively, all elevations witness a decrease in rupee terms except for high grown tea compared to January 2024.

Breaking down the data across elevations also varied in January 2025. High grown teas traditionally sought after for their refined quality increased to Rs. 1,105.66 ($ 3.76), reflecting a Rs. 15.43 and $ 0.34 gain YoY. Medium grown teas recorded Rs. 1,038.05 ($ 3.53), showing a Rs. 48.24 decline in rupee terms but a $ 0.13 gain in dollar terms. Low grown teas, which dominate tea exports, fell to Rs. 1,255.60 ($ 4.27), marking a decline of Rs. 136.39 and $ 0.09 YoY.