Sri Lanka Tea Board hails industry stakeholders

Introducing Ceylon Tea dyed face masks

An initiative for Tea Nursery Program

Re-establishing the image of Ceylon Tea

• Message to mark International Tea Day

International Tea Day is a United Nations observance celebrated annually on 21 May to express the economical, biological and physical benefits of tea. It was inaugurated by the General Assembly and essentially replaced the unofficial observance of the same name, which used to be celebrated on December 15 in tea producing countries. The observance of International Tea Day is promoted and facilitated by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization in collaboration with other relevant organisations and stakeholders.

The production and processing of tea contributes to the achievement of the sustainable development goals, such as the eradication of extreme poverty, the fight against hunger, the empowerment of women, and the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems. Taking this into account, the UN General Assembly designated 21 May as International Tea Day based on the proposal submitted by the FAO-IGG Tea group.

The first International Tea Day was celebrated last year. In this year, the global tea fraternity is going to celebrate the second occasion of International Tea Day proclaiming the theme for this day as ‘Tea and Fair Trade’.

In such a background, the Sri Lankan tea industry wishes to recognize few vital characters and crucial segmentation to pay tribute for the invaluable service and enormous sacrifices made to raise the popularity and perceived quality parameters to stardom:

• The sweat of the toiling workers is our ‘Green Gold,’ which ultimately serves the connoisseur to his or her satisfaction. 
• The tea stains on the fingers of the pluckers tell an unknown story which is unlimited in value. This day is a tribute to these angels. 
• A great story on uplifting women’s empowerment from birth to death.
• Reliability, consistency and sustainability is the forte of the Sri Lanka Tea Industry now boasting of 153 years of heritage. These unique pillars have been the success factors of the island nation’s economy for many years. 

According to Sri Lanka Tea Board Chairman Jayampathy Molligoda, the Sri Lanka tea industry witnessed a recovery amidst the COVID pandemic, with a substantial increase in production and the   export volume during the first quarter of 2021 compared to the corresponding period as well as the year 2020 compared to 2019.  

During Q1 January to March ’21, tea export revenue was Rs. 65 billion, up by Rs. 16 billion YoY, from Rs. 49 billion during the 1Q, 2020. 

• Q1 January to March ’21 cumulative production totalled 74 million kgs, up by 20 m kg.
• FOB price was Rs. 939 per kilo during the Q1, which is an increase of 13%, from Rs. 827 during the corresponding period 2020.
• FOB price in $ during Q1 was $ 4.77 as against $ 4.47 during Q1 ’20. 
• March FOB in $ was $ 4.87, the highest ever.
• FOB price during the year 2020 was Rs. 867 per kilo, when compared to Rs. 823 per kilo during the year 2019.
• Turkey retained the top position, followed by Iraq and Russia with China occupying the fourth position and China have increased substantially (160%) Y-o-Y.

In view of the foregoing, it is important to pay tribute to the stakeholders of the tea industry which is a vital sector for the progress of the economy. The involved people need to be recognised.  The supply chain players in the value addition cycle from the farmers to pluckers and right up to the brand marketers given due recognition. So, this is a fascinating story where all the stakeholders in the tea industry could bravely ‘walk the talk’.