A cup of tea is about to get more expensive

The price of a cup of tea is predicted to increase up to 20 per cent following a season of extreme weather in key tea-producing areas of India. Ongoing flooding in the Assam region and heatwaves in May have led to a 7 per cent drop in the country’s tea output – equivalent to 100 million kilograms. Production has also been affected by the Indian government’s ban on 20 different pesticides. British consumers will be particularly affected – they drink more tea than any other nationality except for Ireland and Turkey and have seen the average price of 80 bags rise 11 per cent this year to £2.64. But the real cost of a brew will depend on how you prefer to take it: the price of milk is falling – up to six per cent this year – while sugar has climbed 8 per cent. Once again, extreme weather linked to El Niño is largely to blame.