Sri Lanka Tea Board targets US$ 1.5 Bn exports

The Sri Lanka Tea Research Institute said an income of US$ 1.5 billion is expected this year from tea exports.

In the last two years, the tea industry in this country has been able to earn foreign exchange amounting to US$ 1 to 1.2 billion.

Agriculture and Plantation Industries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera held a review meeting regarding the progress of St. Coombs Tea Factory and Sri Lanka Tea Research Institute in Talawakelle last Sunday (7).

The ban on chemical fertilisers in 2021 had also affected tea cultivation in Sri Lanka. And due to this, the application of fertilisers for tea cultivation in the years 2022 and 2023 had decreased. Due to this there was some reduction in the yield.

But from this year, the two Government-owned fertiliser companies started providing fertiliser for tea at a concessional price. The Government owned fertiliser companies took steps to provide three types of tea fertilisers, which are worth around Rs. 14,000 in the market, at a price of Rs. 5,500 to Rs. 7,500 per 50 kg bundle. An amount of Rs. 1,200 million has been allocated from the money of the Sri Lanka Tea Board for this subsidy.

Accordingly, application of fertilisers for tea cultivation has been started in three stages. Under the first phase, 30,000 metric tons of tea fertiliser is to be distributed and 10,000 metric tons of it has already been distributed.

Officials said that by applying fertiliser for tea cultivation and planting saplings in vacant places, it will be possible to get a high yield of tea cultivation in the coming year.

During this year, an income of US$ 1.5 billion has been achieved through the export of tea. Currently, Sri Lankan tea is exported to 150 countries, out of which 20 countries buy our tea on a large-scale.

Minister Amaraweera also mentioned that the land currently cultivated for the development of the tea industry in this country is sufficient and no more new land will be used for tea cultivation.

Instead, the tea research institute should take measures to increase the tea-related products as value-added products by applying fertilisers to the tea plantations, planting empty seedlings, introducing the high-density cultivation system and increasing the value-added products.

Talawakele Tea Research Institute has introduced 70 new varieties of tea so far. The Tea Research Institute also points out that these tea varieties are in high demand internationally.

This progress review meeting was attended by a group of officials from the Tea Research Institute as well as the Agrarian Development Commissioner General A. M. H. L. Abeyratne and others participated.

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