Tea prices close December higher but 2025 underperforms year-on-year

The national tea auction prices edged up in rupee terms in December 2025, even as the dollar returns remained under pressure, amid the currency movements and softer global pricing, the industry data compiled by Forbes & Walker Research showed.
The national tea sale average rose to Rs.1,201.58 per kilogramme in December, up Rs.3.19, from November’s Rs.1,198.39, according to Forbes & Walker Research. 
In dollar terms, however, the average slipped marginally to US $ 3.89, from US $ 3.91 month-on-month. Year-on-year, the December average was higher by Rs.16.76, compared with Rs.1,184.82 a year earlier, while the dollar value declined to US $ 3.89, from US $ 4.06, reflecting weaker foreign currency realisations despite the firmer rupee prices.
For the full year 2025 to date, the total national sale average fell to Rs.1,167.72 per kilogramme (US $ 3.88), down Rs.57.45 and US $ 0.18, from the corresponding average of Rs.1,225.17 (US $ 4.06) in 2024, underlining the persistent pressure on the overall earnings.
An elevation-wise breakdown showed a stronger momentum in the higher elevations during December. The high-grown teas recorded a month-on-month increase of Rs.20.73 and US $ 0.03, while posting a sharper rupee gain of Rs.50.09 year-on-year, though the dollar returns eased by US $ 0.06. The medium-grown teas also strengthened, rising Rs.18.65 and US $ 0.03 from November and gaining Rs.11.12 year-on-year, despite a US $ 0.17 decline in dollar terms. The low-grown teas were comparatively subdued, slipping Rs.0.68 and US $ 0.04 from November but still recording a modest rupee increase of Rs.4.49 over December 2024, alongside a steeper dollar decline of US $ 0.23.
Cumulatively, all regions recorded negative variances for the January-December 2025 period compared with the corresponding period of 2024, in both rupee and dollar terms, pointing to a challenging year for the tea industry, despite the pockets of resilience at the year-end.