Tea Price Report | Week 11 | Ending 13 March 2026

Tea Price Report | Week 11 | Ending 13 March 2026

From Tea Biz by Dan Bolton

March 20, 2026 · 2 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the current state of tea prices and market dynamics as of March 2026.

Tea markets closed ISO Week 11 with price discovery still driven more by quality and execution than by broad demand expansion. In Colombo, the latest broker-published weekly comparison available during the week showed sales averaged $3.68 per kilo for the 4 March sale, down from $3.85 per kilo for the prior 25 February sale. So Colombo softened on that measure, even as better-made teas continued to attract support. In India, the weekly benchmark picture was incomplete. Disruptions in market demand are apparent due to widespread conflict in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Tea Board India published a North India average for the week ending 14 March, but the prior week was marked as not sold, so there is no clean week-over-week comparison. In East Africa, Mombasa remained active with fair general demand and selective absorption. Indonesia’s market remained selective and quality-sensitive. Across origins, the key signal remains the widening gap between dependable manufacture and ordinary teas. Better-made teas continue to clear with disciplined competition, while plainer descriptions require price adjustment. | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153…

People in this episode

Host: Dan Bolton

Topics covered

  • tea market analysis
  • price trends
  • quality assessment
  • global tea trade
  • market disruptions

Keywords

  • tea prices
  • Colombo
  • India
  • Mombasa
  • market demand
  • quality tea
  • tea trade
  • Middle East conflict

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Tea Board India

Places: Colombo, India, East Africa, Mombasa, Indonesia

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