High grown teas lift September average

• All elevations still weaker YoY

Sri Lanka’s national tea sale average edged up in September, though cumulative prices for the year remained lower than in 2024, data compiled by Forbes & Walker Research showed.

The National Tea Sale Average (NSA) for September 2025 rose to Rs. 1,191.62 per kilo, up by Rs. 9.35 from August average of Rs. 1,182.27. However, compared to September 2024’s Rs. 1,207.99, the average declined by Rs. 16.37 year-on-year.

For the January–September 2025 period, the overall NSA stood at Rs. 1,160.56, marking a drop of Rs. 85.10 from the corresponding period in 2024 when it averaged Rs. 1,245.66.

By elevation, High Grown teas saw the strongest month-on-month improvement, up Rs. 49.56 from August, though still Rs. 34.72 lower year-on-year in rupee terms. Medium Grown teas dipped slightly by Rs. 1.56 month-on-month and fell Rs. 13.83 from a year earlier. 

Low Growns, which make up the bulk of Sri Lanka’s tea output, were largely steady, rising Rs. 0.75 in local terms but down USD 0.01 month-on-month, and lower by Rs. 30.79 from September 2024.

All three elevations recorded negative variances for the year to date, both in rupee and dollar terms, compared with the corresponding period in 2024, reflecting continued pressure on global tea prices and subdued export demand.