Category: Agriculture

Moves to set up an Export Marketing Council for the tea industry is underway that will take over Tea Board promotions and include officials from the Export Development Board, the Board of Investment and the new Tourism Bureau.The proposed council will take over all promotional work currently carried out by the Tea Board, working hand […]

Sri Lankas tea crop slipped to 20.7 mn kilos in August, its lowest since 1999 when a figure of 19.4 mn kilos was recorded. Asia Siyaka Commodity brokers did not give a reason for production drop, but said the tea crop has fallen steeply by 38 percent todate, since peaking at 33 mn kilos in […]

At the laboratories of the tea research centre, scientists are brewing a new cup of tea.They are testing the properties lquote Ceylon Tea grown in various regions of the island. Tea Board officials are hoping they will produce the marketing and branding break through the industry has been waiting for. ” If we could prove […]

Out-grower schemes for rubber in non-traditional planting areas are being developed as one way to bridge an expected shortfall in top quality grades for the local rubber products industry. Spearheaded by the Southe Development Ministry, a smallholder project is being developed in Moneragala to produce rubber that will then be processed into high quality grades […]

Sri Lankan tea production has swung into rapid recovery mode following a weak first quarter, to end at 181.8 mn kilos to date, up from 3.6 mn kilos the previous year. This follows a pick up in monthly production for each of the three months in the second quarter, which exceeded intakes for the same […]

Local factions in the tea industry say the Indian threat was looming for over a year, but officials here had made no effort to plan for competition. Sri Lankan orthodox teas sell at an attractive premium above CTC prices. In addition Sri Lanka dominates the orthodox market controlling well over 75 per cent of supply. […]

However, as always a faction continued on the lines that importation would kill the local plantations and wipe out most of the trade.On the contrary, if tea importation is allowed and with structured promotions exporters can effectively market tea from two nations. Sri Lanka is already the largest tea exporter, exporting around 20 per cent […]

Russian buyers favouring bulk tea over packed teas has been a leading factor in the drop.Commodity brokers say this is a disappointing tu of events and feel that Sri Lanka should move fast to capture and develop other value added markets.The Tea Board has identified Japan, the European Union and Austral Asia as potential value […]

The selection and appointment of a CEO for the Tea Association will be the first official step in forming the umbrella organisation proposed in the A.T. Keay study initiated by the private sector. Chairman of the Planters Association, Mahendra Amarasuriya said plans were to appoint the new CEO before the end of August. Industry officials […]

Russia continues to be one of Sri Lanka quote s top buyers, importing approximately 50 million kilos a year and also the biggest value added market.A number of Russian companies had proposed to increase the tax by as much as 60 per cent. The mover aims to support Russian companies manufacturing value added tea, which […]

The decision by the Joint Ministerial Committee earlier this month was prompted by a recent delay in clearing a shipment of tea to the continent.The decision requires flavoured tea exporters to obtain clearance for their flavours and methodologies from the National Food Laboratories Indian Prevention of Food Adulteration Act. Exporters obtaining the clearance will then […]

VAT, which comes into effect from July 1, is slapped on tea exports.But the tea trade is against the move as it pushes the weekly tea auction prices up. Under the existing tax system, exporters are not required to pay 12.5 percent GST on the weekly tea auctions.Instead, GST is refunded whenever the trade purchases […]