Insight to the Top tea factories and estates/plantations in Sri Lanka 2022

Sri Lanka has always been popular for Ceylon tea. The reputation Ceylon tea has for the quality and standard of the products is admirable. Sri Lanka has been able to provide not only the best quality but also the finest taste a tea could possibly have. Many manufacturers in Sri Lanka produce tea polishing the Ceylon tea name over the years. Therefore, it is worth looking into the Best tea factory list in 2021 and recognizes who makes this fine tea.

• Uva Halpewatte Tea Factory
• Blue Field Tea Factory
• Handunugoda Tea Estate Tea Factory
• Ceciliyan Tea Factory
• Falcon Tea Factory
• Blue Mount Tea Factory
• New Vithanakanda Tea Factory
• Kandugannawa Tea Factory and Sales Center
• Great Western Estate Tea Factory
• Park View Tea Factory
• Nandana Tea Factory Pvt Ltd Akuressa
• Glenloch Tea Factory and Tea Center

The length of the list of tea factories in Sri Lanka shows how well Sri Lankans handle their tea business to strengthen their economy. Sri Lankans have a unique tea manufacturing process they mastered over decades of experience. The number of tea manufacturers in Sri Lanka is just as high as the number of tea factories. However, there are a few giants in tea manufacturing and exporting Ceylon tea. Dilmah Ceylon Tea company plc, Heritage Tea Pvt. Ltd., Uni Lever Lipton Ceylon Limited, Hapugastenne Plantations Plc, Watawala Plantations Plc, and Stassen Pvt. Ltd. Ceylon tea manufacturers successfully feed the Ceylon tea reputation in the global market by continuously providing quality tea to the market.

How the tea Production in Sri Lanka is done?

The tea production process in Sri Lanka is an industry that was perfected for generations. Sri Lanka produces Ceylon tea throughout the year. The annual tea production in Sri Lanka is about 340 million kilograms. The tea production process varies from one tea type to another. For instance, the production process of Black tea goes like plucking tea leaves, cleaning tea leaves, withering, rolling, full fermentation, firing, and drying, and sorting. The process of making Green tea goes like plucking tea leaves, cleaning tea leaves, pan-frying or steaming, pre-drying, rolling, pot drying and shaping and styling. The tea production companies use technology and expert knowledge gathered over years’ worth of experience to produce this tea. White tea is only made by hands. 

What are the organic tea companies in Sri Lanka?

 Organic tea does not contain any chemicals, including fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides or herbicides. Ceylon organic tea is one of the finest organic teas you could taste. Many Sri Lankan tea manufacturers like A Z Teas Pvt. Ltd., Abacus Tea Pvt. Ltd., Adamexpo, Anew Ceylon Tea & Spices Pvt. Ltd., Anverally & sons Pvt. Ltd., Bogawanthalawa Tea Ceylon Pvt. Ltd, Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company Plc, and A F Jones Exporters Ceylon Pvt Ltd produce organic tea.  Organic tea has an increasing demand in the global market. Also, organic tea can be sold for a higher price. Organic tea production in Sri Lanka is done exactly according to requirements, rules, and regulations provided by The International Federation of Organic Agriculture (IFOAM).

The importance of the Sri Lankan Tea industry

The tea industry plays a significant part in the Sri Lankan economy. It employees around one million people directly or indirectly. Tea plantation covers around 4% of Sri Lankan lands, and it is about 203000 hectares. The climate, soil, and Sri Lanka landscape contribute to producing tea with great taste and rich potassium than regular tea throughout the year. While the central highlands are the main tea region in Sri Lanka, many other districts appoint their lands for tea plantations. Ceylon tea has a reputation for being the cleanest and highest quality tea in the global market. Sri Lankan tea industry is strengthened with partnerships, alliances, certifications, and standards.

The finest tea in the global market – Ceylon tea Sri Lanka

Tea was introduced to Sri Lanka when it was a British colony. At the time, the country was named “Ceylon.” Pioneers like James Tylor took the first steps in commercial tea manufacturing in Sri Lanka. Soon after that, Sri Lankan tea earned the reputation of being the finest tea in the global market. Since then, Ceylon tea has protected and enhanced that reputation by producing various tea products with the highest quality.

List of tea companies in Sri Lanka

Many people like to invest and start a tea business. Therefore, there is a dramatic growth of the total number of tea companies in Sri Lanka after James Tylor started producing tea.

• The tea and Herb Company limited
• Empire Teas Private Limited
• Venture Tea Pvt. Ltd.
• Dilmah Tea
• Heritage Teas Pvt. Ltd.
• Bogawantalawa Tea
• Neelagiri Tea Company Pvt. Ltd.
• Fairly Tea Company
• The Tea & Herb Company LTD
• Steuarts Tea
• Micheal White and Company Pvt. Ltd.

The role of the Tea board Si Lanka to produce the finest tea in the market.

1st January 1976, Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLT) came into life as a result of a combination of several acts and regulations. The Sri Lankan Tea Board’s main objective is to take measures to protect the tea industry and tea workers. It handles and manages tea production, storing, exporting, and many other tea industry activities. Also, Sri Lankan Tea Board take action to spread the Ceylon Tea name in the global Tea Market. Following is the list of activities handled by the Sri Lankan Tea Board.

• Regulating the tea production.
• Increasing the tea cultivation in Sri Lanka
• Replanting and rehabilitating old tea plantations
• Establishing and upgrading tea factories
• Monitoring the activities of the tea factories

From plucking tea to exporting, Sri Lankan Tea Board examines and manages every process to present the best tea to the market. The Tea Board manages tea factories, Shipments, Warehouses and storages, exporters, and blenders. Marketing and promoting Ceylon tea brand around the world is also a responsibility of the Sri Lankan Tea Board.

Exporters, traders, manufacturers, cultivators, foreign buyers, and brand owners receive advice, support from SLBT. Tea Board has 6 subdivisions, and all the functions are distributed among them to manage. 

The head office of SLTB is situated in Colombo. The duties done by the head office include administration, planning, directing, coordinating, internal auditing, financial management, and working as a resource center. 

Promoting, advertising, and marketing activities locally and internationally are the jobs belonging to the promotion division. Distributing necessary sales data to the relevant parties also falls into this division.

The Market Intelligence & Resource Division is another department of the Sri Lankan Tea Board. It makes plants assist critical decision making by collecting and analyzing data, and the Export division handles all the activities connected to disposing, warehousing, and packing, exporting, and importing Ceylon tea.

The seven regional offices that work under the Tea Commissioner’s division manage the cultivation, manufacture, and quality development of Ceylon tea nationwide.

The tea testing unit is consists of independent tea tasters. They taste the tea and decide whether the tea taste is up to the standard. They offer the Lion Logo to quality and standard products.

The Analytical laboratory gives ISO/IEC 17025 standard to products that does not contain any chemicals or pesticides. 

The Sri Lanka tea board website offers you many details about the Sri Lankan tea industry and Ceylon tea. If you are looking to start manufacturing, exporting, warehousing, tea packaging, and dealerships, you have to be registered with the tea board. You can get the application from the website. The website also has a section with tea prices. The “Tea Directory” is the part where the contact details of all the tea companies, manufacturers, exporters, brokers, importers, warehouses, packers, processors, and green leaf dealers. You can access the official website of the Sri Lankan Tea Board via this link. http://www.srilankateaboard.lk/

 

The help of the Sri Lanka Tea Factory Owners Association

Sri Lanka Tea Factory Owners Association started in 1990. There are already over 300 members. The current head of the association is Mr. Harith Ranasinghe. SLTFOA is a nonpolitical, independent association that has the primary objective of promoting, fostering, and protecting the Sri Lankan Tea industry. The association pays special attention to tea smallholder farms because around 80% of Ceylon tea are produced. This includes around 138900 hectares of Tea plantations, about 400000 smallholders, and 2 million direct or indirect employees.

 

Tea exporters in Sri Lanka – providers of delight to the world

Sri Lanka has the reputation of exporting quality Ceylon tea into the global market. There are many tea exporters in Sri Lanka. Tea Exporters Association Sri Lanka helps Sri Lankan tea exporters to improve their exportations and increase their sales. Here is a list of tea exporters in Sri Lanka.

• Tea Tang Ltd.
• Ceylon Tea Marketing Pvt. Ltd. 
• Abdulla International Pvt. Ltd.
• Jafferjee & Sons Pvt. Ltd.
• J.V.Gokal Ceylon Pvt. Ltd.
• Crescent International Pvt. Ltd.
• Amazon Trading Pvt. Ltd.
• BIO foods Pvt. Ltd.
• Ceylon Grandeur Pvt. Ltd.
• Ceylon Fresh Tea Pvt. Ltd.
• Heavenly Tea Exports Pvt. Ltd.
• Heritage Teas Pvt. Ltd.

 

TEA DIRECTORY – the rainbow pages of the tea industry

The tea directory is a database of details about people and companies connected with the tea industry. It includes almost all Tea manufacturers, exporters, brokers, importers, warehouses, packers, processors, and green leaf dealers. This helps not only people in the tea industry but also people looking to enter the tea industry, investors, and customers.

 

Thinking of visiting? Here’s a list of tea plantations in Sri Lanka

The Tea directory lists the following tea plantations as the most popular tea plantations in Sri Lanka. Many tourists, local and foreign, love to visit these beautifully maintained plantations and enjoy a warm, delicious cup of Ceylon tea while watching Sri Lankan tea plantations’ scenic picture.

• Bogawana Bogawantalawa Tea Plantation
• Great Western Talawakelle
• Killarney Bogawantalawa
• Kirkoswald Bogawantalawa
• Mayfield Bogawantalawa
• Somerset Gampola
• Talawakelle Group Agarapatana
• Virgin White Tea plantation
• Ceylon Tea Trails
• Clingendael 

Sri Lanka tea plantations are famous for their beauty. These are the 10 most beautiful plantations to visit in Sri Lanka.

Distribution of Tea estates in Sri Lanka

The total number of tea estates in Sri Lanka is 996. These tea estates are spread within the country as 625 for Kandy district, 130 for Badulla District, 111 for Matale District, 40 for Kegalle District, 37 for Ratnapura District, 21 for Nuwara Eliya District, 21 for Kurunegala District, and 11 for Matara district. Tea estates and plantations bring additional income associated with Ceylon tea because many visitors love to see the beautiful estates and plantations. Tea estates Kandy like Hantana Estate, Ceylon tea museum, Oodewella famous for their beauty.

The central massif and its southern foothill are the main tea-growing areas in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has a coverage of about 2220000 hectares of Tea plantations. The weather, soil, and landscape are working very favorably for the tea industry, and many districts, including Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Bandarawela, Haputale, Galle, Matara, Ratnapura, Kegalle, has a considerable amount of tea plantations. Dimbula tea has a variety of subtly different tea flavors due to the microclimates in the Dimbula area. But all of them share the quality of having a golden-orange hue. Uva tea has a reputation of having an exotically aromatic flavor. Ruhuna tea is low grown tea that has a unique flavor. It is easily distinguishable.

Life on a tea plantation in Srilanka

In 1824, Sri Lankans planted their first tea plant exported from China. Since then, the tea industry has rapidly evolved, making Sri Lanka the third biggest tea exporter in the world. Tea pluckers spend most of their day plucking tea leaves. The workers have a quota of leaves to pick each day. The person is expected to pick 18 kilograms a day.

Estate workers are a community. They live in dwellings that are pact together like villages. These villages have their own hospitals and schools. Tea village Sri Lanka is a different cultural establishment with many values like unity and harmony. Life on a tea plantation in Srilanka is a different kind of lifestyle.

Sri Lanka tea plantation map

Tea plantations in Sri Lanka are scattered, centering the central province. Tea cultivation in Sri Lanka covers about 222000 hectares in the country. Kandy and Nuwara Eliya are major tea-growing areas. 

Kandy is the birthplace of Ceylon Tea. Nuwara Eliya is the highest altitude tea growing area in Sri Lanka. Nuwara Eliya tea has the lightest tone of tea with a delicate fragrant flavor. Sabaragamuwa is the biggest tea-growing region and has a different flavored tea due to the high rainfall they receive throughout the year.

The climate and soil and the natural landscaping are a blessing for Lankan tea growers to produce the finest Ceylon tea.

 

FAQs

How to grow tea plant in Sri Lanka?

Draining soil like ericaceous is best for tea growing. The tea plants need sunlight with a partial shade. Seeds and plants are the ways to grow tea plants. People prefer plants over seeds because seeds tend to have germinating problems. Si Lankans mostly grow tea in upcountry and hillside.

How many tea estates are there in Sri Lanka?

In Sri Lanka, there are a total of 996 tea estates. There are 625 tea estates in Kandy district, 130 in Badulla district, 111 in Matale district, 40 in Kegalle district, 37 in Ratnapura district, 21 in Nuwara Eliya district, 21 in Kurunegala district, and 11 in Matara district.

Where are the best tea plantations in Sri Lanka?

Many agree that, Nuwara Eliya has the best tea plantations in Sri Lanka in both, beauty of the plantations and the taste of tea.

How much do Sri Lankan pickers earn?

A tea worker earns a minimum salary of LKR 680.00 a day. Workers get paid extra for every exceeding kilogram of the day’s quota. 

Who owns tea plantations in Sri Lanka?

Most of the tea plantations are owned by the private sector in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan government owns some tea plantations.

Where is tea grown in Sri Lanka?

The largest tea-growing areas in Sri Lanka are the central massif and its southern foothills. Tea plantations occupy approximately 2220000 hectares in Sri Lanka. The tea industry greatly benefits from the temperature, soil, landscape, and many districts, including Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Bandarawela, Haputale, Galle, Matara Ratnapura, and Kegalle, have significant tea plantations.