📈 June National Tea Sales Average Dips, H1 2026 Marginally Up

Based on provisional data from Forbes & Walker Research, Sri Lanka's tea sector saw mixed results as the June National Sales Average (NSA) declined month-on-month (MoM) but showed slight resilience year-on-year (YoY). • Overall Figures: The June NSA stood at Rs. 1,153.49 (US$ 3.45), down by Rs. 31.07 (US$ 0.20) compared to May 2026. However, compared to June 2025, the rupee average rose by Rs. 50.22, though its US dollar equivalent fell by US$ 0.23. • H1 2026 Cumulative Performance: The first six months recorded a cumulative NSA of Rs. 1,162.09 (US$ 3.66), reflecting a marginal YoY increase of Rs. 3.55. Due to exchange rate dynamics, the dollar-denominated average fell by US$ 0.23 YoY from US$ 3.89. • Elevation Breakdowns (MoM vs YoY): - High Grown: Suffered the sharpest MoM drop, falling Rs. 64.64 (US$ 0.29). YoY, it gained Rs. 52.40 but lost US$ 0.19. This was the only category with a positive year-to-date (YTD) variance in rupee terms. - Medium Grown: Declined MoM by Rs. 53.74 (US$ 0.25) and YoY by Rs. 29.82 (US$ 0.43). - Low Grown: Marginally dipped MoM by Rs. 12.61 (US$ 0.15) but showed a strong YoY rupee gain of Rs. 72.02, despite a US$ 0.19 dollar decline. Both Medium and Low Grown categories posted negative YTD variances in both currencies.