POOR HARVESTS SET TEA PRICES BOILING

POOR HARVESTS SET TEA PRICES BOILING

By Javier Blas in London 2009-06-10

Tea prices have hit record highs, rising almost 35 per cent in the past 12 months, due to the impact of simultaneous droughts on the crops of the main exporting countries.

The sharp output falls in India, Kenya and Sri Lanka has come as demand remains robust in spite of the impact of the economic crisis, exacerbating last year's deficit. "Major black tea producing countries have continued to record lower production. . . owing to dry weather conditions," said Sicily Kariuki, managing director at The Tea Board of Kenya, the industry regulator.

The wholesale price of the best quality black tea, or BP1, rose last week to $3.69 a kilogram at the weekly auctions in Mombasa, Kenya - above the previous record of $3.63/kg last year. Wholesale best quality black tea prices have more than doubled from a decade low of $1.75/kg set in December 2001. Prices averaged $3.07 last year.

Unlike coffee, tea does not trade in a futures exchange and the business is based on physical deals at auctions. Mombasa's auctions are the world's largest.

Some tea traders believe prices could rise further this summer as supplies remain well below's last year level. But they are also warning that buyers, particularly from emerging markets, could slow purchases.

The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation, which tracks global tea supply and demand, says there is a "significant" shortfall in supply.

Official production figures for the first quarter in key exporting countries, released recently, have confirmed the industry's worst forecast for a sharp decline in output.

干旱导致茶叶价格飙升

英国《金融时报》哈维尔•布拉斯(Javier Blas)伦敦报道 2009-06-10

由于全球主要茶叶出口国同时遭遇干旱，茶叶价格在过去12个月上涨近35%，达到创纪录水平。

印度、肯尼亚和斯里兰卡茶叶产出急遽下降，而尽管全球陷入经济危机，茶叶需求依然强劲，加大了去年的供需缺口。行业监管机构肯尼亚茶叶局(Tea Board of Kenya)理事长西西里•卡里乌基(Sicily Kariuki)表示：“由于天气干旱……主要红茶生产国的产量都在持续下降。”

在肯尼亚蒙巴萨上周的拍卖市场上，质量最好的BP1等级红茶批发价涨至每千克3.69美元，打破了去年创下的每千克3.63美元的纪录。与2001年12月1.75美元的过去十年最低价格相比，最佳品质红茶批发价格已翻了一番以上。去年的平均价格为3.07美元。

与咖啡不同，茶叶不在期货交易所交易，而是基于拍卖上的现货交易。蒙巴萨交易会是全球规模最大的茶叶交易会。

一些茶叶商认为，由于供应仍远远低于去年的水平，今年夏季价格可能会进一步上升。但他们还警告称，买主（特别是新兴市场的买主）可能会放缓购买。

跟踪全球茶叶供求情况的联合国粮食及农业组织(FAO)表示，茶叶供应“严重”不足。

主要出口国最近发布的第一季度官方产量数据，证实了业界对产量将急剧下降的最坏预测。

译者/陈云飞