GUWAHATI — The Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) has recorded a staggering 15 per cent drop in average CTC tea prices over the last two months, triggering major liquidity alarms across the region's plantation industry.
According to market data released by the Tea Association of India (TAI), average CTC prices crashed from ₹264.89 per kg in Sale No. 26 down to ₹221.57 per kg by Sale No. 34. Planters emphasize that this steep downturn is highly unusual given that it occurs alongside widespread crop damage, rejecting any initial theories of domestic market oversupply.
Devastating seasonal floods left massive swathes of Assam's prime tea estates completely under water. Industrial bodies warn that waterlogged tea bushes suffer long-term damage and will take months to fully recover.
Beyond the floods, heavy pest infestations and spells of intense heat have crippled premium leaf yields across Upper and Lower Assam.
Initial Tea Board data indicated a 5% marginal increase in North Indian tea up to June. However, TAI President Shailja Mehta confirmed that July production immediately fell by 8%, with a matching drop recorded through August. The industry projects an overall output deficit of 8 million kilograms by the end of August.