Category: Agriculture

Octo 15, 2009 (LBO) – Real wage rates earned by Sri Lanka’s plantations workers had been virtually stagnant for years, according to a report by a think tank.The Institute of Policy Studies said in a report on the state of the economy that poverty levels of plantations workers were also high, although there had been […]

Oct 09, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan prime minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake has called for lower consumption of sugar, saying diabetes was on the increase, and alternative uses for the crop such as fuel production. “We consume far too much sugar for our health,” he told the 25th anniversary celebrations of the island’s Sugarcane Research Institute. […]

Oct 09, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka has developed new varieties of cinnamon with higher yields and chemical properties that are sought after in the food, pharmaceutical and perfumery industries.Sri Lankan cinnamon industry experts said the island’s production is not enough to meet demand. Production has been held back by a shortage of cinnamon peelers. […]

Oct 08, 2009 (LBO) – Prices of teas grown on the estates of regional plantations companies recovered at this week’s Colombo auctions, although those of low grown teas fell, brokers said. “Low grown teas once again declined in value, but met with fair general demand,” Asia Siyaka said. High priced FBOP/FBOPF1 varieties of tea declined […]

Oct 05, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan tea exports rose slightly in August from a year ago as production recovered from drought earlier in the year, but shipments for the year were still sharply lower, brokers said. Sri Lanka exported 27.9 million kilos of tea in August 2009, an increase of 0.5 million kilos over […]

Oct 02, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan tea prices fell at this week’s auction, raising concern that plantations corporations may not enjoy the high price levels required to cope with a recent near 40 percent wage hike. Brokers Asia Siyaka Commodities said there was “fair general demand at lower rates” for teas from regional plantations […]

Sept 30, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s plantations industry has said new wage models are being considered in talks with labour unions after managing to link worker productivity to wages in recent negotiations.Dhamitha Perera, chairman of the Planters’ Association of Ceylon (PA), said the recent near 40 percent wage hike, raising a worker’s daily wage […]

Sept 29, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan plantations companies relying mainly on high grown teas such as Maskeliya Plantations and Namunukula Plantations would be worst hit by a recent wage hike, an equities research report says. These are mainly small-holder farmers in the island’s southern districts making low-grown teas, which account for over 60 percent […]

Sept 29, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan spice traders say they have thwarted an attempt by few processors to push the government to impose an export tax that would have benefited their own industries but hurt growers, mostly small farmers.Pepper light berries are used to make high value products from the extracted oil while nutmeg […]

Sept 25, 2009 (LBO) – Prices of Sri Lanka’s high grown teas made by plantation firms rose again at the Colombo auctions this week owing to supply shortages, brokers said. The local crop has been affected by drought earlier this year followed by recent labour union action that disrupted production and transport of made tea […]

Sept 24, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s production of black tea in August 2009 fell 5.3 percent to 23.9 million kilos from a year ago, with the shortfall coming from the high and mid-grown elevations, according to the Sri Lanka Tea Board. But production of low grown teas, which make up the bulk of the […]

Sept 21, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s plantations industry is demanding that the government settle long-delayed tax refunds to help bear the cost of a wage hike estimated at an extra six billion rupees a year.Damitha Perera, chairman of the Planters’ Association, which represents the industry, said repayment of value-added tax refunds and disbursement of […]