In commemoration of International Tea Day, the newly established Digital Resource Center at the Ratnasiri Wickramanayake National Training Centre in Hantana, Kandy, was officially inaugurated on Wednesday by the Deputy Ambassador of the Netherlands to Sri Lanka Iwan Rutjens.

The event, organized by the Small Tea Estates Development Authority, was attended by its Chairman, Nimal Udugampola, along with several high-ranking officials.

The launching of this digital facility coincided with a landmark technology handover for local tea cultivators.

The Lumbini Tea Farmer Group renowned as the world’s first farmer group to be registered under the Regenerative Agriculture (Regen Agri) Certificate officially received state of the art agricultural instruments, including a tea leaf scanner and a soil analyzer. This advanced technology has been provided by Solidaridad, in partnership with The Nucleus Foundation, to champion environmentally responsible and sustainable tea cultivation in Sri Lanka.

The implementation of these high-tech instruments was personally championed by Dr. Shatadru of Solidaridad. During the formal ceremony, Ridmi Virajinee, Quality Assurance Officer of Lumbini Tea, officially accepted the equipment on behalf of Managing Director of Lumbini Group Chaminda Jayawardana.

The cutting-edge technology is backed by Demetrix, whose technical team was present at the venue to support the rollout and facilitate comprehensive training for the farming community. This collaborative milestone underscores a shared commitment by state authorities, international diplomatic missions, and non-governmental organizations to build a highly sustainable, resilient, and technologically driven future for the country’s tea sector.

Dutch envoy opens Digital Resource Centre for tea In commemoration of International Tea Day, the newly established Digital Resource Center at the Ratnasiri Wickramanayake National Training Centre in Hantana, Kandy, was officially inaugurated on Wednesday by the Deputy Ambassador of the Netherlands to Sri Lanka Iwan Rutjens.

The event, organized by the Small Tea Estates Development Authority, was attended by its Chairman, Nimal Udugampola, along with several high-ranking officials.

The launching of this digital facility coincided with a landmark technology handover for local tea cultivators.

The Lumbini Tea Farmer Group renowned as the world’s first farmer group to be registered under the Regenerative Agriculture (Regen Agri) Certificate officially received state of the art agricultural instruments, including a tea leaf scanner and a soil analyzer. This advanced technology has been provided by Solidaridad, in partnership with The Nucleus Foundation, to champion environmentally responsible and sustainable tea cultivation in Sri Lanka.

The implementation of these high-tech instruments was personally championed by Dr. Shatadru of Solidaridad. During the formal ceremony, Ridmi Virajinee, Quality Assurance Officer of Lumbini Tea, officially accepted the equipment on behalf of Managing Director of Lumbini Group Chaminda Jayawardana.

The cutting-edge technology is backed by Demetrix, whose technical team was present at the venue to support the rollout and facilitate comprehensive training for the farming community. This collaborative milestone underscores a shared commitment by state authorities, international diplomatic missions, and non-governmental organizations to build a highly sustainable, resilient, and technologically driven future for the country’s tea sector.

Text and Pic by SK Samaranayake