This archive report was first published on 10 January 2020.
On January 6th and 7th, the Mombasa tea auction kicked off the new year with a strong start, selling over 158,000 packages out of the 178,431 offered for sale.
This translates to 10.5 million kilograms sold, compared to the 11.8 million kilograms offered for sale. Notably, sales increased by 127,000 packages compared to the last auction of 2019.
According to the East African Tea Trade Association (EATTA), the average price per kilo of Kenyan tea was KSh226, while the volume of Kenyan tea traded was 8.2 million kilograms. Ugandan tea traded 1.3 million kilograms at an average price of KSh125 per kilo, and Rwandan tea traded 559,775 kilograms at an average price of KSh323 per kilo.
International buyers showed strong interest in the auction, with Pakistan packers being particularly dominant. Other active buyers included Afghanistan, Egypt, Kazakhstan, CIS states, Yemen, Middle Eastern countries, Sudan, and Russia. The UK was also active, but selective in their purchases.
The Mombasa tea auction is a crucial hub for the global tea industry, providing a platform for teas from different countries to be sold alongside each other and establishing price levels and differentials for teas worldwide.
