The Executive Director of the Northern Tea Factories Syndicate, speaking about new import channels for supplying the tea market, said that this year’s harvest of green tea leaves is sufficient to meet domestic market demand and there is no need for imports.
According to Agrofoodnews (the Food and Agriculture Industry News outlet), quoting Mehr News Agency, Mohammad Sadegh Hassani, Executive Director of the Northern Tea Factories Syndicate, said: Last year, tea prices were not changed by tea factories, and after the price increase in Ordibehesht 1404 (April–May 2025), prices remained fixed through the end of the year. However, this year, due to the rise in the price of green tea leaves—which saw about a 72% increase under the government support purchase program—as well as higher labor and packaging costs, tea prices have risen significantly.
Referring to the support purchase price, he added: This year, the price per kilogram of first-grade green tea leaves increased from 24,500 tomans to 42,000 tomans, and second-grade leaves rose from 18,000 tomans to 30,000 tomans.
Stating that daily-wage workers’ pay has increased by more than 90% this year, he said: In addition, packaging supplies such as bags and similar items have become 3 to 7 times more expensive. Consumables such as spare parts for factory machinery are also changing in price by the hour, and under these conditions, tea factories have increased tea prices by 60% to 100%.
Pointing out that the price changes took effect starting in Ordibehesht (April–May), Hassani noted: At the beginning of the year, due to cold weather, harvesting was lower, but later—given the country’s weather conditions—this decline will be made up for in the second spring picking, and a higher volume of harvest will be sent to tea factories.
Regarding new import channels to meet domestic needs, he said: Given the current conditions in the country and the challenges of importing, this year’s green tea leaf harvest is sufficient to meet domestic market needs, and we will not need imports.
Referring to improvements in tea quality, he continued: The production figure for green tea leaves in 1404 was about 22,000 tons, while in 1403 this number was reported at about 33,000 tons.
In conclusion, the Executive Director of the Northern Tea Factories Syndicate stated: It is predicted that this year, considering the country’s weather conditions, tea harvesting from tea gardens will reach 30,000 tons.
