Price of a cuppa to rise

BAD news – a cup of tea could soon rise steeply in price. Increases are already being felt in supermarkets, but consumers have so far been sheltered from the worst of the hit, according to The Grocer magazine.

Kenyan tea costs 21 per cent more than it did this time last year, while Sri Lankan tea is up 25 per cent, the magazine said. Both countries have been hit by serious supply shortages, and the situation is likely to get even worse in the next month.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation has warned of a significant shortage in supply because of heatwaves and late spring rains.