Global Tea Market Summary

World tea production rose by more than 3%, reaching an estimated 3.6 million tons in 2006.[3] Record levels of tea production in China, India, and Vietnam in 2006 offset declines in major tea producing countries.[4] The global market size for tea in 2007 in terms of retail value was $23.323 billion and in terms of retail volume was 1,765 million kilograms.[5] The year-on-year growth rate of the global tea market for the period 2006-07 in terms of retail value was 4.5% and in terms of retail volume was 3.5%.[6] The average global per capita consumption of tea in 2007 was 0.3 kg.[7] Driven by double digit growth in sales of black specialty tea bags, green tea and other types, the global tea market is expected to grow by almost 10% in value and over 13% in volume between 2005 and 2010.[8]

Global Tea Production: In 2007, China was the largest producer of tea followed by India, Kenya, and Sri Lanka. Graph 1 on the next page shows the production volume of the world’s major tea producers.

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Global Tea Exports: In 2007, Kenya was the largest exporter of tea followed by Sri Lanka, China, and India. The following graph shows the export statistics for the world’s major tea exporters.

[10]

Though, India is the second largest producer of tea in the world, the domestic consumption of tea is quite high, resulting in India’s exports being only the fourth largest.

Global Tea Imports: In 2007, Russia was the biggest importer of tea followed by the U.K., U.S., Pakistan, and Japan. The following graph shows the import statistics for the world’s major tea importers.

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Global Supply and Demand of Tea: From 2004 through 2007, global supply of tea has exceeded demand. Graph 4 below, shows the global supply and demand statistics for tea during that period.

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As the global supply of tea has consistently outstripped global demand, major tea producers have been pursuing differentiated marketing strategies and focusing only on those markets that have high rates of growth. Given the dynamics of the global supply and demand for tea, understanding market needs and developing niche or specialty tea products becomes crucial for market players.

Highest Per Capita Consumption Markets for Tea in 2007: Turkey, Ireland, U.K., Poland, Russia, and Japan had the highest per capita consumption rates for tea in 2007. As can be seen from Graph 5 below, the average per capita consumption of tea in Russia was 1.3 kg, which was far greater than the average per capita consumption of tea both globally (0.3 kg) and in India (0.7 kg).

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Prices of Tea at Different World Auctions (Q3): The following table compares the prices of tea in 2008 (in third quarter) at different world auction houses of major tea producing countries with the prices of tea in 2007 (in third quarter). As is evidenced by the table, all regions saw double digit rates of price growth over the past year.

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Issues and Trends Affecting the Global Tea Market

Rising Affluence: Rapid economic growth in a number of developing nations such as China, India, and Russia, has resulted in an increase in middle class consumers who have high disposable incomes. These consumers have exhibited premium purchasing behavior, upgrading their purchases from unpackaged tea to branded and specialty varieties.[15]

Growing Health and Wellness Trend: The growing health and wellness trend has been a major driver for the value growth of tea in the global tea market. These consumers are willing to pay a premium price for the advertised health benefits of specialty tea varieties such as herbal/fruit tea and other tea.[16]

Analysis of the Russian Tea Market

Russia has a long history of tea drinking because of its proximity to China and Central Asia. Russia is the largest market for tea in the world, both in terms of all tea varieties, as well as for just black tea. In 2007 in terms of retail value the Russian market was worth $3,266 million and in terms of retail volume it was 161.44 million kg.[17] The year-on-year growth rate of the Russian tea market, for the period 2006-07 in terms of retail value was 12% and in terms of retail volume was 2.3%.[18] The Russian market also has one of the highest per capita consumption rates for tea. In 2007, per capita consumption of tea in Russia was 1.3 kg compared to the average global per capita consumption of tea, which was 0.3 kg in the same year.[19] Retail prices for tea in Russia are relatively high and growing. In 2007, the average retail price for tea in Russia was $20.2 per kg, compared to the average global retail price of $13.2 per kg in the same year.[20]

Sales of Tea by Sub-Sector in Russia: In traditional tea markets like Russia, there is a growing demand for premium specialty and healthy tea varieties as can be seen from Table 2 below.

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Forecast of Tea Volumes by Sub-Sectors for the Period 2007 to 2012: Due to the rising affluence and growing health and wellness trend, there is a growing demand for specialty premium teas such as green tea, herbal/fruit tea, and other tea, as reflected in the forecasted values below.

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Competitive Landscape Analysis of the Russian Tea Market: The top five players in the Russian tea market, namely Orimi Trade, Ahmad Tea Fabrika, Unilever SNG, Mai Kompanya and Akbar Bros Ltd, contributed to more than 50% of the total sales in 2007. In Table 3 on the next page are the names of the major players in the Russian tea market and their respective market shares.

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Analysis of the Indian tea market

In 2007, India was the second largest producer of tea in the world after China. In the same year, the annual tea production in India was 945 million kg.[24] India was also the fourth largest exporter of tea in the world, with export volumes close to 178.75 million kg.[25] The Indian market size for tea in 2007 in terms of retail value was $876.4 million and in terms of retail volume 226.04 million kg.[26] The year-on-year growth rate of the Indian tea market, for the period 2006-07 in terms of retail value was 3.5% and in terms of retail volume was 2.6%.[27] In 2007, per capita consumption of tea in India was 0.7 kg, which is far less than the per capita consumption of tea in Russia, which was 1.3 kg in the same year.[28] The retail prices for tea in India are very low. In 2007, the average retail price for tea in India was $3.9 per kg, which is substantially less compared to the average retail price for tea in Russia ($20.2 per kg) and also to the average global retail price for tea ($13.2 per kg) in the same year.[29]

Supply and Demand of Tea: For the period of 2005 through 2008, supply of tea in the Indian market has exceeded demand. This, combined with the fact that global supply of tea has also exceeded demand, is the reason for the prevailing low prices of tea in India. Table 4 below gives the supply and demand statistics for tea in India.

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Sales of Tea by Sub-Sector in India: In India, tea has high market penetration, thus the market growth rates for the projected period are expected to fall. The value growth of the global tea market is driven by new variants and flavors specifically targeted towards the health and wellness segment. However, Indian consumers are not very receptive to non-tea leaf based tea such as fruit/herbal tea due to the traditional habit of adding milk to tea.[31] The following graph shows the sales of tea by sub-sector in India.

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Forecast of Tea Volumes by Sub-Sectors for the Period 2007 through 2012:

Competitive Landscape Analysis of the Indian Tea Market: The top five players in the Indian tea market, namely Hindustan Unilever Ltd, Tata Tea Ltd, Duncans Industries Ltd, Wagh Bakri Ltd and Goodricke Group Ltd, contributed to more than 60% of the total sales in 2007. Given below are the names of the major players in the Indian tea market and their respective market shares.

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Comparison of the Russian and Indian tea markets

The following table gives a comparison of the Russian and Indian tea markets.

The following table provides sales prices of several different sales channels:

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The following is a breakdown of the profit margins that tea producers can expect by utilizing different sales channels:

[35; 36]

As can be seen from the table above (which is merely a rough estimate), if the Indian tea producer chooses to sell his tea locally at one of the auction houses he can expect a profit of $0.37 per kg, if he chooses to export his tea to international markets he can expect a profit of $0.95, and if he chooses to sell it locally to an Indian retailer he can expect a profit of $1.15. It’s quite clear from the table that Indian tea producers can make the maximum profit margins by entering the Russian market and selling tea directly either to Russian distributors or to retailers.

The market size for tea in Russia in terms of retail value is $3,266 million [37] and by capturing just 0.5% of this market, Indian tea producers can increase their turnover by more than $30 million and earn substantially higher profits on each new dollar of sales revenue generated. The Russian tea market also provides a fertile ground for sales of premium specialty tea varieties like herbal/fruit tea, flavored tea, green tea and others, which the Indian tea producers can exploit. Therefore in considering the size of the Russian tea market and the strong growth rate that the tea market is experiencing there, we strongly feel that it is the right time for Indian tea producers to enter this market and reap the benefits of this opportunity in collaboration with our firm.

If you have any questions about this report or would like to obtain additional information regarding this opportunity, please feel free to contact Alexander Aginsky at a.aginsky@aginskyconsulting.com.

FOOTNOTES:

1 Arndorfer, Travis, and Kristine Hansen. “The complete idiot’s guide to coffee and Tea,” page 198. New York: Penguin Group, 2006.
2 A growing trend towards premium and specialty brands
3 “Tea prices to maintain upward trend in 2008,” Commodities Now. February 14th, 2008. Available online at:
http://www.commodities-now.com/content/market-news/market-news-20080214133555.php?
PHPSESSID=34967b
4 Ibid
5 “Global Market Information,” 2008 Euromonitor International.
6 Ibid
7 Ibid
8 Ibid
9 “Indian Tea Statistics,” Tea Board of India. Available online at: http://www.teaboard.gov.in/inner2.asp?param_link_id=410
10 Ibid
11 Philip Parker. “The World Market for Tea: A 2007 Global Trade Perspective,” Icon group Ltd.
12 “Indian Tea Statistics,” Tea Board of India. Available online at: http://www.teaboard.gov.in/inner2.asp?param_link_id=410
13 Ibid
14 Ibid
15 “Global Market Information,” 2008 Euromonitor International.
16 Ibid
17 Ibid
18 Ibid
19 “Global Market Information,” 2008 Euromonitor International.
20 Ibid
21 “Global Market Information,” 2008 Euromonitor International.
22 Ibid
23 “Global Market Information,” 2008 Euromonitor International.
24“Indian Tea Statistics,” Tea Board of India. Available online at: http://www.teaboard.gov.in/inner2.asp?param_link_id=410
25 Ibid
26 “Global Market Information,” 2008 Euromonitor International.
27 Ibid
28 Ibid
29 Ibid
30 “Indian Tea Statistics,” Tea Board of India. Available online at: http://www.teaboard.gov.in/inner2.asp?param_link_id=
31 Ibid
32 “Global Market Information,” 2008 Euromonitor International.
33 Ibid
34 “Indian Tea Statistics”, Tea Board of India. Available online at: http://www.teaboard.gov.in/inner2.asp?param_link_id=
35 DISCLAIMER: This table is not based on real numbers. Most of the revenue and profit estimates in this table are based on numerous assumptions and can deviate from the reality of the market conditions by very wide margins. Producing a table with these numbers based on actual facts will be one of the goals of our primary research conducted by our firm as part of the engagement. E- approximate estimated price
* from Russian tea customs
** freight carriers
37 “Global Market Information,” 2008 Euromonitor International.