Ceylon Tea Is Our Legacy. But Time To Honor The Hands That Pluck It

COLOMBO (News 1st); Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya has laid out a transformative roadmap for Sri Lanka’s tea industry, calling for a shift from tradition to innovation, and from exploitation to empowerment.

Speaking at the International Tea Symposium in Colombo, the Prime Minister emphasized that 90% of Sri Lanka’s tea production is exported to over 140 countries, with Ceylon Tea continuing to command global respect for its quality and authenticity. 

But Amarasuriya made it clear: the future of tea lies not just in exports, but in rethinking the entire value chain — from land use and labour conditions to research and branding.

“We don’t compete with volume. We compete with quality, with our brand, and with a legacy built on sustainability and inclusivity,” she said.

The government has set ambitious targets: 400 million kilograms of made tea and US$2.5 billion in export earnings by 2030. 

Achieving this, the Prime Minister stressed, will require strategic investment in research, particularly through institutions like the Tea Research Institute (TRI), and stronger collaboration between universities, industry, and government.

Amarasuriya did not shy away from addressing the labour crisis plaguing the sector. With more than 60% of the workforce comprising women, she highlighted their unseen sacrifices — working through the pandemic, enduring injuries, and surviving without proper housing, sanitation, or childcare.

“We often portray the woman, the tea plucker, in our branding of tea.”

She warned that low wages, poor working conditions, and lack of upward mobility are driving younger generations away from plantation work, threatening the industry's long-term sustainability.

To counter this, the 2026 national budget proposes a daily wage increase for plantation workers from Rs. 1,350 to Rs. 1,750, including a Rs. 200 attendance incentive, effective January 2026.

“Fair compensation is not a privilege — it’s a necessity. This wage reform is just the beginning.”