Tea prices rise as production costs soar

Kochi: Tea lovers in India may soon find their favourite beverage a bit more expensive. Major tea companies are planning to raise prices due to rising production costs.

Tata Consumer Products and Hindustan Unilever, two of the country’s leading tea producers, have already announced price increase. Other companies in the market are also expected to follow suit.

The decline in tea production has been noticeable since January this year. Factors such as pest attacks and climate change have negatively impacted yields. Production in North India has also decreased, and this trend could continue in the coming months.

While there has been a growing demand for Indian tea abroad, traders report that exports are currently affected by the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict.

In a recent tea auction held in Kochi, 89% of the sales were from the Orthodox tea segment. However, there was a slight drop in prices compared to the previous week.

India primarily produces three types of tea: CTC (Crush, Tear, Curl), Orthodox (Leaf), and Green tea. Among these, CTC and Orthodox varieties are the most widely produced.