In Sri Lanka, stronger competition persisted for cleaner, high-grown, well-manufactured teas, while secondary descriptions continued to encounter resistance. | In Colombo, prices averaged $3.24/kg this week, ↑ +$0.03/kg vs the previous week (Week 18), supported by continued supply tightness and stronger competition for select high-grown and well-manufactured leafy teas.In North India, prices averaged $1.93/kg this week, ↑ by $0.04/kg vs the last reported average (Week 18), reflecting steady buying support for stronger liquoring North Indian teas and improved demand from blenders and exporters.In Mombasa, prices averaged $2.23/kg, unchanged from the previous week (Sale 18 benchmark), supported by broadly stable buyer participation and orderly market clearance conditions.In Indonesia, prices averaged $2.43/kg this week, ↑ by $0.02/kg vs the prior benchmark, reflecting improved support for orthodox teas and tighter available supply.The broader market structure remains unchanged. Buyers continue to prioritize execution quality and blend reliability, while exporters remain disciplined because freight, financing, and energy costs continue to support pricing floors across the major origins. | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Regenerative agriculture has become one of the tea industry’s most discussed concepts, but definitions often remain vague. Producers, traders, and brand owners generally agree that healthier soils and more resilient ecosystems matter. The harder question is what regenerative farming actually looks like in practice on a working tea farm.For Michael D. Ham, the answer begins with restraint. On Jeju Island in South Korea, Wild Orchard Tea grows tea without irrigation, synthetic fertilizers, or intensive intervention. The objective is not simply sustainability, but long-term biological resilience.In this SPOTLIGHT conversation, Ham discusses soil microbiology, biodiversity, root depth, and why the tea industry may need to rethink how it measures success beyond short-term yield. | BIO Michael D. Ham is the founder of Wild Orchard Tea, a regenerative organic tea company sourcing from Jeju Island, South Korea. He is an advocate for regenerative agriculture in tea and works closely with growers focused on soil health, biodiversity, and long-term ecological stewardship. | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Fertilizer Shock Threatens Tea Quality, Yields, and Costs | International Tea Day Events Expand Across Global Markets | India Pushes Ahead with Contested Tea Auction Mandate | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Fertilizer Shock Threatens Tea Quality, Yields, and Costs | International Tea Day Events Expand Across Global Markets | India Pushes Ahead with Contested Tea Auction MandateNEWSMAKER – Michael D. Ham, CEO of Wild Orchard TeaPLUS | Regenerative Farming Begins by Doing LessRegenerative agriculture has become one of the tea industry’s most discussed concepts, but definitions often remain vague. Producers, traders, and brand owners generally agree that healthier soils and more resilient ecosystems matter. The harder question is what regenerative farming actually looks like in practice on a working tea farm.For Michael D. Ham, the answer begins with restraint. On Jeju Island in South Korea, Wild Orchard Tea grows tea without irrigation, synthetic fertilizers, or intensive intervention. The objective is not simply sustainability, but long-term biological resilience.In this SPOTLIGHT conversation, Ham discusses soil microbiology, biodiversity, root depth, and why the tea industry may need to rethink how it measures success beyond short-term yield. | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Tea markets closed WEEK 17 with prices edging firmer across the major auction centers, but the underlying signal remains quality, not volume. | Across Colombo, North India, Mombasa, and Indonesia, buyers continued to participate, but with discipline. Competition focused on clean, well-manufactured teas needed for immediate blending and export commitments. Secondary grades remained more difficult to secure, requiring price adjustments or weaker bidding. | Pricing reflects that structure clearly. In Colombo, prices averaged $3.24 per kilo, up three cents week-on-week. North India averaged $1.92, up four cents on the last available official benchmark. Mombasa came in at $2.23, up two cents on the prior sale, while Indonesia averaged $2.44, also up three cents on an indicative basis.| Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

On Earth Day, it’s easy to talk about sustainability in broad terms—but much harder to connect those ideas to what’s actually happening on the ground. | For tea producers, climate pressure is no longer abstract. It’s showing up in yield, cost, and long-term viability. | What we’re exploring today is a different approach—one that attempts to measure soil health, biodiversity, and resilience, and link those directly to economic outcomes.BIO: Annabel Kalmar is the founder of Tea Rebellion and a trustee of RegenTea, a UK-based foundation advancing regenerative agriculture in tea. She works with origin partners across Africa and Asia and is leading a multi-country pilot focused on farm-level data and soil health. | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Middle East Instability Threatens Blending Hubs | A Refund Rush is Underway in US Trade | China’s US Ambassador Praises Tea Harmony | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Middle East Instability Threatens Blending Hubs | A Refund Rush is Underway in US Trade | China’s US Ambassador Praises Tea HarmonyNEWSMAKER – Tea Rebellion Founder Annabel Kalmer, and a RegenTea TrusteePLUS | Regenerative Tea Moves from Sustainability Claims to Farm-Level Economics | Tea Rebellion Founder Annabel Kalmar explains how RegenTea is testing whether soil health can translate into measurable return on investment for tea producers.It’s a shift from certification to economics—and one that could redefine how value is created at origin. | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Tea markets closed ISO Week 15 with conditions still stable—but with a subtle shift in what is driving that stability.Across the major auction centers—Colombo, North India, Mombasa, and Indonesia—buyer activity remained steady, but highly selective. Demand continues to focus on teas needed for immediate blending and export commitments, with well-made teas attracting consistent competition. | At the same time, secondary teas continue to face a more difficult environment. Clearance often requires price adjustment, reinforcing the widening gap between premium and standard quality across the catalog.| Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Specialty tea has long defined quality through craftsmanship, origin, and terroir. These pillars have shaped how producers grow tea, how buyers evaluate it, and how consumers understand value in the cup. But a new layer is emerging—one that shifts attention beneath the surface. As environmental pressures intensify across global agriculture, regenerative farming is entering the tea conversation. Its focus on soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem resilience introduces a deeper question: not just where tea is grown, but how the land itself is managed over time. In this episode, Bernadine Tay, President of the European SpecialityTea Association, explores whether regenerative agriculture will remain a sustainability sidebar—or reshape how quality itself is defined. “The adoption of regenerative tea farming may redefine tea quality, says Tay, but only if the industry gets it right.”BIO: Bernadine’s background spans sourcing, judging, training, and industry advocacy, with a focus on translating origin practices into credible market signals. At ESTA, she is helping guide the definition, evaluation, and communication of emerging frameworks—such as regenerative agriculture—ensuring that new narratives are grounded in verifiable practice rather than marketing abstraction. She is the founder of Quinteassential [www.quinteassential.co.uk], a UK-based tea design and consultancy company working with leading hospitality groups to develop tea programs, blends, and experiences that elevate tea to the level of fine food and beverage. With a background in Biomedical Science, Bernadine brings a structured, evidence-led approach to tea, bridging sensory expertise with scientific understanding of wellness and composition. | Podlink signup: https://pod.link/1549975153Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy