Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
(formerly called Ceylon) has a climate and varied elevation that allows for the production of both ''
Camellia sinensis
''Camellia sinensis'' is a species of evergreen shrub or small tree in the flowering plant family Theaceae. Its leaves and leaf buds are used to produce the popular beverage, tea. Common names include tea plant, tea shrub, and tea tree (not to ...
var. assamica'' and ''Camellia sinensis var. sinensis'', with the assamica varietal holding the majority of production.
Tea production
Tea processing is the method in which the leaves from the tea plant '' Camellia sinensis'' are transformed into the dried leaves for brewing tea.
The categories of tea are distinguished by the processing they undergo. In its most general form, t ...
is one of the main sources of foreign exchange for Sri Lanka, and accounts for 2% of
GDP
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjective nature this measure is often ...
, contributing over US$1.3 billion in 2021 to the
economy of Sri Lanka
The free-market economy of Sri Lanka was worth $84 billion by nominal gross domestic product (GDP) in 2019 and $296.959 billion by purchasing power parity (PPP). The country had experienced an annual growth of 6.4 percent from 2003 to 2012, well a ...
. It employs, directly or indirectly, over 1 million people, and in 1995 directly employed 215,338 on tea plantations and estates. In addition, tea planting by
smallholders is the source of employment for thousands whilst it is also the main form of livelihood for tens of thousands of families. Sri Lanka is the world's fourth-largest producer of
tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and northe ...
. In 1995, it was the world's leading exporter of tea (rather than producer), with 23% of the total world export, and Sri Lanka ranked second on tea export earnings in 2020
after China. The highest production of 340 million kg was recorded in 2013, while the production in 2014 was slightly reduced to 338 million kg.
The humidity, cool temperatures, and rainfall of the country's central highlands provide a climate that favors the production of high-quality tea. On the other hand, tea produced in low-elevation areas such as Matara, Galle, and Ratanapura districts with high rainfall and warm temperature has a high level of astringent properties. The tea biomass production itself is higher in low-elevation areas. Such tea is popular in the Middle East. Sri Lanka produces mostly orthodox black teas but also produces CTC, white and green teas. The two types of green tea produced are the gunpowder type and sencha.
The industry was introduced to the country in 1867 by
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, havi ...
, a British planter who arrived in 1852.
Tea planting under smallholder conditions has become popular in the 1970s. Most of Sri Lanka's export market is in the Middle East and Europe but there are also plenty of bidders worldwide for its specialty high-country-grown Nuwara Eliya teas.
History
![Finest Ceylon Tea blik, foto 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Finest_Ceylon_Tea_blik%2C_foto_2.JPG)
The total population of Sri Lanka according to the census of 1871 was 2,584,780. The 1871 demographic distribution and population in the plantation areas are given below:
Growth and history of commercial production
Registered tea production by elevation
Registered tea production in hectares and total square miles by elevation category in Sri Lanka, 1959–2000:
Main destination of Sri Lankan teas
The most important foreign markets for Sri Lankan tea are the former Soviet bloc countries of the
CIS
Cis or cis- may refer to:
Places
* Cis, Trentino, in Italy
* In Poland:
** Cis, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, south-central
** Cis, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, north
Math, science and biology
* cis (mathematics) (cis(''θ'')), a trigonome ...
, the
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
,
Syria
Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...
,
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
,
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
,
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
,
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
,
UK,
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
,
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
and
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
.
The most important foreign markets for Sri Lankan tea are as follows, in terms of millions of kilograms and millions of pounds imported. The figures were recorded in 2000:
Revenue Statistics
Branding
![Ceylon Tea logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Ceylon_Tea_logo.png)
The Sri Lanka Tea Board is the legal proprietor of the lion logo of Ceylon tea. The logo has been registered as a trademark in many countries. To appear the Lion logo on a tea pack, it must meet four criteria.
# The Lion Logo can only be used on
consumer packs of Ceylon tea.
# The packs must contain 100 percent of pure Ceylon tea.
# The packaging should be done only in Sri Lanka.
# The brands which employ the Lion logo should meet the quality standards set by the Sri Lanka Tea Board.
The logo is considered to be a "known sign of high quality" around the world.
The Sri Lanka Tea board signed an agreement to sponsor
Sri Lanka national cricket team
The Sri Lanka men's national cricket team, ( si, ශ්රී ලංකා ජාතික ක්රිකට් කණ්ඩායම, ta, இலங்கை தேசிய கிரிக்கெட் அணி) nicknamed The Lions ...
and
Sri Lanka women's national cricket team
The Sri Lanka women's national cricket team represents Sri Lanka in international women's cricket. One of eight teams competing in the ICC Women's Championship (the highest level of the sport), the team is organised by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), ...
in their overseas tours for US$4 million for three years.
Research
The Tea Research Institute
The Tea Research Ordinance was enacted by Parliament in 1925 and the Tea Research Institute (TRI) was founded. It is at present the only national body in the country that generates and disseminates new research and technology related to the processing and cultivation of tea.
Beginning in the early 1970s, two researchers from the
National Institute of Dental Research
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) is a branch of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The institute aims to improve the oral, dental, and craniofacial health through research and the distribution of important he ...
in
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which in ...
, USA conducted a series of research projects in which they arranged a
longitudinal study
A longitudinal study (or longitudinal survey, or panel study) is a research design that involves repeated observations of the same variables (e.g., people) over short or long periods of time (i.e., uses longitudinal data). It is often a type of obs ...
group of a large number of
Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
* Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia
**Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils
**Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia
* Tamil language, nativ ...
tea labourers who worked at the Dunsinane and Harrow Tea Estates, from Kandy. This landmark study was possible because the population of tea labourers were known to have never employed any conventional
oral hygiene
Oral hygiene is the practice of keeping one's mouth clean and free of disease and other problems (e.g. bad breath) by regular brushing of the teeth (dental hygiene) and cleaning between the teeth. It is important that oral hygiene be carried out ...
measures, thereby providing some insight into the natural history of
periodontal disease
Periodontal disease, also known as gum disease, is a set of inflammatory conditions affecting the tissues surrounding the teeth. In its early stage, called gingivitis, the gums become swollen and red and may bleed. It is considered the main caus ...
in man.
[Löe, H, et al. Natural history of periodontal disease in humans. ''J Clin Perio'' 1986;13:431–440.]
Sustainability standards and certifications
There are several organisations, both international and local, that promote and enforce sustainability standards and certifications about tea in Sri Lanka.
Among the international organisations that operate within Sri Lanka are
Rainforest Alliance
The Rainforest Alliance is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) with staff in more than 20 countries and operations in more than 70 countries. It was founded in 1987 by Daniel Katz, an American environmental activist, who serves ...
,
Fairtrade
A fair trade certification is a product certification within the market-based movement fair trade. The most widely used fair trade certification is FLO International's, the International Fairtrade Certification Mark, used in Europe, Africa, As ...
,
UTZ Certified
UTZ, formerly called UTZ Certified, is a program and a label for sustainable farming. The organization was founded as a non-profit in the Netherlands in 2002. The UTZ label is featured on more than 10,000 product packages in over 116 countries. ...
, and
Ethical Tea Partnership
The Ethical Tea Partnership is a Private Limited Company that has been working with tea producers and tea companies to improve the sustainability of the tea industry since 1997.Jane Pettigrew and Bruce Richardson ‘Tea Classified: A Tea Lover’s ...
.
The Small Organic Farmers’ Association (SOFA) is a local organisation dedicated to organic farming.
Gallery
Tea Plantations in Sri Lanka situated in Wewalthalawa.jpg, Tea plantations in Wewalthalawa
Haputale, Sri Lanka, Tea plantations and trees.jpg, Tea plantations near Haputale, Uva
Sri Lanka, Tea plantations, Nuwara Eliya.jpg, Tea plantations in Nuwara Eliya
Sri Lanka, Tea plantations, Nuwara Eliya, Picking tea leaves.jpg, Picking tea leaves
Sri Lanka, Tea leaves, Nuwara Eliya.jpg, Tea leaves
See also
*
Akbar Tea
Akbar Tea is a Sri Lankan tea brand owned by Akbar Brothers Ltd, along with Alghazaleen Tea. The company produces a range of tea bags, loose teas and gifts including: black tea, green tea, flavoured teas, and herbal teas.
Akbar Brothers is ...
*
Dilmah
Dilmah is a Sri Lankan brand of Ceylon tea, sold internationally. The company was founded in 1988 by Merrill J Fernando. The name Dilmah was chosen by combining the first names of Fernando's sons Dilhan and Malik. It is available in over 100 co ...
*
George Steuart Group (Steuarts Tea, 1835 Steuarts Ceylon)
*
Heladiv
*
Island Tea
*
Loolecondera
*
Mlesna
Mlesna Tea is a tea company owned by Euro-Scan Exports based in Sri Lanka. The company produces a range of loose teas, tea bags and gifts including: black tea, green tea, flavoured teas, and herbal teas.
History
The company was established by An ...
*
Thomas Lipton
Sir Thomas Johnstone Lipton, 1st Baronet (10 May 18482 October 1931) was a Scotsman of Ulster-Scots parentage who was a self-made man, as company founder of Lipton Tea, merchant, philanthropist and yachtsman who lost 5 straight America's Cup m ...
*
Tea production in Azerbaijan
Tea growing in Azerbaijan is concentrated in an area of 5.33 thousand square kilometers located within the Lenkeran-Astara region, including the districts of Astara, Lankaran, Masalli, Lerik, Yardimli, and Jalilabad. Around 90% of Azerbaijan' ...
*
Tea production in Bangladesh
Bangladesh is an important tea-producing country. It is the 10th largest tea producer in the world. Its tea industry dates back to British rule, when the East India Company initiated the tea trade in the hills of the Sylhet region. In addition t ...
*
Tea production in Indonesia
Agriculture in Indonesia is one of the key sectors within the Indonesian economy. In the last 50 years, the sector's share in national gross domestic product has decreased considerably, due to the rise of industrialisation and service sector. Ne ...
*
Tea production in Nepal
Nepali tea is a beverage made from the leaves of tea plants (''Camellia sinensis'') grown in Nepal. They are distinctive in appearance, aroma and taste, but are similar in many ways to tea produced in Darjeeling tea, perhaps because the eastern ...
*
Tea production in Kenya
Tea is a major cash crop that is grown in Kenya. Kenyan tea has been the leading major foreign exchange earner for the country.
Most tea produced in Kenya is black tea, with green tea, yellow tea, and white tea produced on order by major tea pr ...
*
Tea production in Uganda
*
Tea production in the United States
References
Further reading
*
External links
* , Official website of the Sri Lanka Tea Board
Taylor, Lipton and the Birth of Ceylon Tea
{{Economy of Sri Lanka
*
Agriculture in Sri Lanka
Economy of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
Tea industry in Sri Lanka