Sri Lanka Produces 30pct more Tea 1st Half of the Year

25th July 2010, www.news.lk

Sri Lanka is on track for a record tea crop. Sri Lanka, one of the world’s biggest black tea exporters, produced nearly 30 percent more tea in the first half of the year. Tea is Sri Lanka’s biggest cash crop and is sold in overseas markets as “Pure Ceylon Tea”. The industry suffered a setback last year due to a drought and fall-out from the global commodities crash of 2008. But this year tea output for the six months to June rose 27.8 percent compared to the same period last year to 166.9 million kilos.

The Sri Lanka Tea Board said favourable weather, better fertilizer use and an absence of labour unrest all helped has contributed to the increase in production. Board’s Director General, H.D. Hemaratne aid strong demand from key buyers in Russia and the Middle East helped Sri Lankan tea exports earn 399 million dollars for the four months to April, compared to 300 million dollars earned in the same period in
2008.

Tea production in June 2010 alone was up 18 percent at 29.5 million kilos compared to the same month a year earlier.