Category: Agriculture

Nov 04, 2011 (LBO) – Buying for the winter mainly by Russia helped prop up tea prices at the Colombo auctions this week although they are expected to come down once demand tapers off, brokers said. There was demand both for tea from estates as well as low grows teas made by smallholders. “With the […]

Oct 31, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Kelani Valley Plantations group said profits grew 116 percent to 77. 8 million rupees in the September 2011 quarter with revenues growing 55 percent to 1,510 million rupees, helped by rubber. In April, wages of plantation workers were raised by a nation-wide collective agreement. Tea is labour intensive […]

Oct 27, 2011 (LBO) – A Sri Lankan horticulture exporter said it has begun targeting a growing domestic market for cut flowers and horticulture. Hayleys Agriculture, a division of the listed Hayleys group, said it had begun appointing agents and distributors and can double production at its 18 hectare facility in the central hills of […]

Oct 27, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s tea production is expected to revive with the return of weather conditions conducive to growing tea with demand also improving at the Colombo auctions, brokers said. Brokers Asia Siyaka Commodities said low grown teas, which make up the bulk of the crop, “met with improved widespread demand” at […]

Oct 24, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Watawala Plantations returned to profit in the September 2011 quarter, containing first half losses at 13 million rupees, as increased palm oil crops and prices helped offset losses from tea. Group sales in the six months to September 2011 sales rose eight percent to almost three billion rupees […]

Oct 06, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s Bogawantalawa Tea Estate, a listed firm said it has received approval from the state to transfer management of three factories and land to the domestic arm of a US based tea marketing firm. Bogawantalawa Plantations said in a stock filing that it had received the nod from the […]

Oct 06, 2011 (LBO) – Syria has lifted an import ban on value-added tea exports from Sri Lanka which had raised fears it could sharply reduce earnings from the island’s main export product. “There’s now no ban by Syria,” said Hasitha De Alwis, director promotions of the Sri Lanka Tea Board. “The ban on smaller […]

Oct 04, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s value-added tea exports have fallen in recent months in what a tea broker described as a “disturbing trend” as the country is trying to coax its main export up the value chain. Tea bags rose to a “healthy” nine percent in the quarter from six percent a year […]

Sept 30, 2011 (LBO) – Tea estates in Sri Lanka’s central hills have had no respite from a market downturn and continue to incur losses of 150 rupees a kilo owing to lower prices and crops, a broker said. However, despite lower crops in recent months, an anticipated recovery in production in the last quarter […]

Sept 27, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s tea production is unlikely to match last year’s levels given a continuing decline in crops owing to bad weather, a broker said. “In the mid grown areas on the eastern side, Namunukula and Passara, and Linugalla, and on the western slopes Kandy, Matale, Kurunegala and Madulkelle have recorded […]

Sept 22, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lankan rubber products manufacturers are lobbying to double an export cess on raw rubber exports as prices remain high amid strong demand and tight local supply. Manufacturers want the export cess, that had been raised to 12 rupees a kilo only earlier this year, doubled to 24 rupees, according […]

Sept 20, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lankan tea crops and prices have fallen below those of last year imposing losses on plantations whose costs also went up with a recent wage hike, a broker has said. The ‘Uva’ quality season when teas grown on the eastern slopes of the island’s central hills yield their best […]