News

Tea smallholders warn: Fertilizer shortage bound to impact adversely on SL’s tea exports

Published

5 years ago

2021/07/11

By Steve A. Morrell

Tea smallholders, who contribute the lion’s share of 70% of Sri Lanka’s national production, warned that the dearth of fertilizer has impacted adversely on the crop with an envisaged snowballing influence on exports.

“There is yellowing of the leaf surface contributing to substandard conditions affecting the quality of the finished product”, officials representing the Tea Factory Owners’ Association and the Tea Small Holders’ Development Authority, complained.

“The situation is grave as the lack of fertilizer will ultimately translate into a drop in quality tea, with the end result of exports taking a big hit, the officials, who asked not to be identified, said.

It is also of significance that the tea smallholder sector will feel the pinch of tumbling incomes on bought leaf delivered to tea factories, they noted.

Green leaf delivered to factories was paid Rs. 80-100 per kilo, subject to the net sales average of each factory in terms of elevation of its location. For example, a four-member smallholder family could produce at least 50 to 100 kilos green leaf per day, which gives them an income of Rs.10,000. Their earnings will now see a drastic drop due to lack of fertilizer, they pointed out.

In addition, the drop in income levels will also reflect adversely on their bank loan commitments plus repayments for electronic appliances and motorbikes purchased on monthly installment plans, they said.

Meanwhile, President, Asia Siyaka Tea Brokers, Anil Cooke, said Colombo’s prestige world-wide as a recognized tea center was now in jeopardy because of emerging dwindling standards because producers have been affected by quality issues.

“This will result in other producing countries scoring at the expense of Ceylon Tea”, he cautioned.

Brokers reported that price trends in the first six months of trading in comparison to 2020 clearly indicated that quality gravely affected auction prices. Although the low grown catalogue indicated some three million kilos auctioned, the demand was not increasing barometer.

There were areas of doubt that infused some degree of uncertainty on all round prices, they said.

Forbes and Walker, in their market report said, June average 2021 was Rs. 586.51 per kilo. Comparatively, June 2020 was Rs. 612.67, indicating a YOY drop of Rs. 26.16. per kilo.

Asia Siyaka Tea Brokers, and John Keells Tea Brokers also outlined the same position that Colombo was losing its significance as a key tea center, which was open to the assumption that there were buyers moving out of Colombo in preference to other auction centers.

Experts in the field have pointed out that replacing imported chemical fertilizer with alternatives cannot be done on an ad hoc basis. Many years of planning and study should go into the conversion process on a phased out basis.

The fertilizer crisis is not restricted to tea, but on a broad front applies to all plantation crops. Even agricultural exports such as fruit, which generate foreign exchange will suffer the consequences, they remarked.

There is also the threat of foreign investors in the field pulling out as export markets demand quality produce, they added.

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INS Udaygiri departs Colombo concluding formal visit

Published

2 hours ago

2026/09/11

Priyan

The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Udaygiri departed the Port of Colombo today, 11 September 2026, following the successful completion of a four day official visit.

On her departure, the Sri Lanka Navy bade farewell to the ship in accordance with time-honoured naval traditions.

During the visit, naval personnel from both navies engaged in joint initiatives to strengthen bilateral ties. These included a friendly volleyball match, a beach cleanup along the Galle Face
promenade, and a training exercise on Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) conducted by the Sri Lanka Navy Special Boat Squadron (SBS).

As part of the visit, the Indian Navy handed over a consignment of spares and supplies to the Sri Lanka Navy. Visiting crew members also toured key tourist attractions in and around Colombo.

Official interactions of this nature aim to enhance cooperation and knowledge-sharing between the two maritime forces, supporting joint responses to evolving regional maritime challenges.

News

President meets representatives from Sri Lanka Scout Association

Published

8 hours ago

2026/09/11

Priyan

A meeting between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and representatives of the Sri Lanka Scout Association was held at the Presidential Secretariat on Thursday (10) afternoon .

The President was briefed on the 11th National Scout Jamboree, scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka in January 2027, as well as the current status and progress of its organisational arrangements.

The official logo of the National Scout Jamboree was also presented to the President and officially unveiled on the occasion.

Views were also exchanged on the programmes currently being implemented by the Sri Lanka Scout Association and its future plans.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake emphasised the importance of expanding the Scout Movement to more schools and the contribution that the Scout Movement can make to the Government’s programmes to combat drugs.

President’s Senior Additional Secretary Roshan Gamage; Chief Scout Commissioner, Attorney-at-Law Manoj Nanayakkara; President of the Sri Lanka Scout Association Ransiri Perera; Deputy Chief Scout Commissioner (Acting) Kapila Perera; Chairman of the Executive Committee Kamalnath Jinadasa; and Jamboree Co-Organising Commissioner, Engineer Amil Abeysundara, were among the senior representatives of the Sri Lanka Scout Association who attended the occasion.

[President’s Media Division]

News

Meeting between Catholic religious leaders and President

Published

9 hours ago

2026/09/11

Priyan

A meeting between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Catholic religious leaders, led by His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, Archbishop of Colombo, was held at the Presidential Secretariat on Thursday (10).

Special attention was given to the Government’s programme to strengthen coexistence, peace and reconciliation among all communities in the country and to ensure national unity by preventing any form of racist or religiously motivated hate activity.

The progress of investigations into the Easter Sunday attacks was also discussed.

Lengthy discussions were held on measures that could be taken to prevent environmental damage and destruction affecting the lives of the people.

The Catholic religious leaders commended the measures taken by the Government to safeguard trust among all communities and expressed their fullest support for these efforts.

The issues faced by Catholic communities, including infrastructure development in areas where Catholic people reside, as well as measures that should be taken to address these issues, were also discussed at length.

Rev. Fr. Cyril Gamini, Rev. Fr. Julian Patrick and other priests, as well as Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs Muneer Mulaffer, President’s Senior Additional Secretary Roshan Gamage and others, were also present at the meeting.

President’s Media Division (PMD)