History of Ceylon Tea

Aug 31, Colombo: An inaugural meeting of the series of nation-wide programs to educate those involved in the tea industry about quality tea picking and production processes was held today (31) at Apegama Premises in Battaramulla under the chairmanship of the Minister of Plantation and Industries Dr. Ramesh Pathirana.

The meeting was organized by Sri Lanka Tea Board, Tea Research Institute and Small Tea Estate Development Authority.

Speaking at the occasion, Minister Pathirana said the fertilizer problem can be pointed out as the biggest crisis faced in the recent history of the tea industry in this country.

“Accordingly, we have a clear understanding of the potential damage to the name of Ceylon tea. Therefore, we believe that in the coming period, those problems will be managed and the industry related to tea cultivation will be maintained strongly.”

The Minister noted that in the face of the current economic crisis, the farmer has received the advantage of the devaluation of the rupee.

“The price of 80 to 85 rupees per kilo of tea leaves in Galle district in December 2019, has now increased to between 250 and 290 rupees. At one time, the highest price in history was 410 rupees per kilo,” he said.

Minister Dr. Pathirana said the main problem the tea industry is facing now is the low quality of the tea it produces, as well as the decrease in the yield of the leaves.

He said to overcome those situations, the government has implemented many different programs in the last two years, but they also faced various challenges.

“Therefore, we have to pay more attention to giving value to high quality plants, proper fertilizer supply, plant maintenance, soil erosion prevention and water management.”

“Also, proper leaf picking and transportation also helps to promote the quality of tea. Therefore, the practical program to raise awareness about the quality tea picking and production process, which will be started from today in connection with the small tea plantation industry across the island, will lead to the advancement of the tea industry, according to the Minister of Plantation Industries.”

In spite of various obstacles, in the year 2021, Sri Lanka has received a good export income from the plantation industry related to export crops such as tea, coconut, rubber, and cinnamon, the Minister pointed out.

“It is a sum of 3.8 billion dollars. That's $1.3 billion from tea alone. Therefore, in this difficult moment, we all must understand the existing conditions and deal with them.”

“We must work together to make our economy prosperous by maintaining our tea industry, which is still in good demand in the world market, and increasing production productivity,” Minister Pathirana emphasized.

The secretary of the Ministry of Plantation Industry, the chairmen and directors of the respective institutions, and the regional level officials of the respective institutions joined the occasion.