[D]rought, lower tea prices, and economic sanctions against Iran have led to lower tea exports for the world’s largest black tea producing country. The country’s “long rains” season was unusually dry; World Tea News points to Tropical Cyclone Idai, saying that the storm redirected moisture away from the region. According to Bloomberg, production during the first five months of 2019 was 170.18 million kilograms, markedly lower than 2018’s 187.69 million kilograms. Jointly, the average auction price this year is $2.25 per kilogram, a nearly 20% drop compared to last year’s $2.80. Ultimately, the lower tea exports, paired with the drop-in tourism and the flower industry, have resulted in Kenya’s economy dropping to 104.07 shillings per dollar and its fifth straight month in decline. The Kenyan schilling is now on track to be at its lowest level since October 2015.
Share This Article
Join 12,500+ coffee leaders and get top stories, deals, and other industry goodies in your inbox each week.
Other Articles You May Like
Amidst Economic Turmoil and Climate Crisis, Are Coffee Scores Still Relevant?
Coffee brands are thinking critically about sourcing amid supply chain pressures—and looking beyond traditional cup scores in the process.
A Short History of Coffee Label Fraud
From Hawaii to Panama and beyond, coffee counterfeiting is an ongoing issue. Can anything be done to stop it?
The World’s Largest Urban Coffee Farm Could Hold the Key to Brazilian Coffee’s Future
When we think of coffee in Brazil, we generally huge plots of land used for monoculture farming. Cafezal Urbano coffee farm takes a different approach.
India’s Coffee Is 70% Robusta. Why Does Its Specialty Industry Avoid Drinking It?
India is the world’s fifth-largest robusta producer. Yet its roasters have largely turned their backs on the crop that defines their country’s coffee geography.