Market Report – Week 16

🇰🇪 Kenya – Improved General Demand

The Mombasa auction returned to normal online operations this week with improved demand. A total of 195,000 packages were offered, with 29% remaining unsold. The average price dropped slightly to USD 2.04/kg.

• BP1s: Flavory East of Rift (EoR) BP1s sold at irregularly firm to dearer levels, with support from Pakistan and CIS markets. Sudan’s continued absence softened overall tone. West of Rift (WoR) BP1s saw selective demand.

• PF1s: EoR types held firm with steady support from Pakistan and Afghan buyers. WoR PF1s and medium types sold at steady to easier levels.

• Dust Grades: PDs were irregularly easier, while D1s remained firm. Plainer grades followed quality trends.

Weather: Heavy rains across most regions with cooler nights and hotter days. Crop harvests are gradually increasing.

Outlook: Supply expected to remain steady (~190k pkgs/week), but still lower than previous years. As key markets re-engage, a gradual pickup in demand is likely.

🇲🇼 Malawi – Fairly Good Demand

Blantyre offered 5,320 packages. BP1s traded up by 2 USC, PF1sc and seedling types held steady. PDs were neglected, while off-grade fannings rose 4–6 USC due to strong demand despite poor quality.

Weather: Hot days and cool nights with rainfall reported in both Mulanje and Thyolo.

Crop: Unusually high intake for the season, with quality remaining good.

Outlook: Steady.

🌍 Other African Markets

• Rwanda: Improved demand, with broken grades selling at dearer to irregularly steady levels.

• Burundi: Improved availability but selective demand due to poor quality and producer pricing resistance.

• Uganda: Firm to dearer for some grades; others traded steady to easier.

• Tanzania: Demand steady to easier.

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka – No Auction Held

Due to Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations, no auction took place in Colombo. The market update will resume next week.

🇮🇳 India – Good Demand Amid Optimism

Markets remained steady with continued strong domestic CTC demand. Orthodox teas also held, with only slight corrections for whole leaf types. South Indian auctions saw minor corrections but remained firm overall.

Outlook: Expectations are building for larger crops and stable pricing as monsoon rains begin. However, export competitiveness is still a concern.

🇮🇩 Indonesia – Slow Demand

Only 4,400 packages were on offer in Jakarta, with 21% remaining unsold. Demand was slow, but overall prices held firm for Orthodox and CTC teas.

Weather: Favorable conditions with alternating rain and sunshine.

Note: Auction volumes remain low and some main grades are currently absent from the catalogue.