Russia increases its purchases of Indian tea

19 Jul 2022 , 10:14 AM

In the past two weeks, Russia has increased its purchases of Indian tea and is reportedly even paying more for the beverage.

The price of orthodox tea, or loose leaf tea produced in the traditional manner, has increased by as much as 50% as a consequence of increased demand from one of the biggest markets for Indian tea, according to the study. Since Russia also uses this type of tea, it is said that costs for high-quality CTC tea have increased by as much as 40%.

The war between Russia and Ukraine, which broke out in February of this year, has hampered the sale of Indian tea to Russia. “The Russian market for Indian tea is crucial since shipments to Iran, another significant market for tea exports, are having payment problems. According to Nayantara Palchoudhuri, chairwoman of the India Tea Association, 18% of India’s tea exports travel to Russia.

Orthodox tea is loose-leaf tea made with the age-old techniques of plucking, withering, rolling, and drying. It is renowned for having a flavour that is more complex, vibrant, and brisk.

Production of CTC, or Crush Tear Curl, follows a separate procedure. Orthodox processing’s five phases are carried out, but considerably more quickly and sparingly. For the black tea business especially, CTC was developed. It typically features bitter overtones as well as steep, fast, intense, and highly robust flavours.

One of the main countries importing tea from India is Russia, according to a survey by the India Brand Equity Foundation. It brought in 32.5 million kg of tea from India in 2021—2022.