Business

‘Women’s vital contribution to tea sector going unrecognized’

Published

6 years ago

2021/01/30

By Steve A. Morel

Center for Women’s Research, CENWOR, Colombo, conducted workshops recently highlighting importance of women entrepreneurs to the economy of the country. Also, that they were not effectively recognized for this contribution.

Representing the Tea Factory Owners Association Dhammika Mahipala said tea smallholders, who number around 400, 000, and own small holdings, one or two hectares each in extent, produce 75 percent of the tea in the country. Yields per hectare are now at a record high of 1952 kilos. He added it would not be long before such yields exceed 3000 kilos per hectare.

Such crop achievements were possible because smallholder lands are predominantly worked by women. Their crop is eventually processed by the tea factory owners and sold at the auctions at premium prices. As already known, prices realized last year were the highest on record. Apart from kudos lavished on the factories, production of tea crop, or tea leaf, was possible mainly because of the women who work their lands. Such lands are not owned by them, but their husbands; who with least effort are the main beneficiaries of production of these tea lands. Mahipala said women who are the main producers of tea are invariably rendered insignificant in the production chain.

Women are mainly responsible for contributing over 1.5 billion dollars to the economy. This made the tea industry viable although the Covid debacle literally throttled most other industries. The tea industry was instrumental in ensuring exports continued without interruption and the economy was kept viable. All because of women who were directly responsible for production; both in the corporate sector and the tea smallholder sector.

Director, CENWOR, Dr. Kala Peiris said the smallholder sector continued such production with women not being paid for the work they do. They are not recipients of all statutory dues. They do not get EPF, ETF, and allied pension benefits, no child care benefits, and connected pluses that give them allied dignity. She agreed the formalized tea sector workers are paid, with attendant benefits of water sanitation, housing, and all statutory dues.

However, her strong advocacy for recognition, both domestically and socially should be of immediate importance, resulting in women being positively recognized for their contribution to the economy, and not relegated to the position of non persons.

The CENEWOR discussion was parallel to the contribution of the FAO, which also played a catalyst role to ensure women are recognized in the future. Tina Jayaratnam, representing the FAO at the head table said, the multi-faceted contribution of women should be recognised.

Director, CENWOR, Dr. Wijeye Jayatilleka and Dr. K.C.B. Puspalatha also spoke.

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Business

India-Sri Lanka Foundation’s 41st meeting signals a new era of integration

Published

5 hours ago

2026/09/2

Sahan Weerasooriya

High Commissioners Santosh Jha and Mahishini Colonne chaired the 41st India-Sri Lanka Foundation meeting in New Delhi, highlighting ongoing bilateral cooperation across cultural, economic, and infrastructure sectors.

By Sanath Nanayakkare

On the surface, the 41st Board Meeting of the India-Sri Lanka Foundation (ISLF) in New Delhi on August 28, 2026, was structured as a routine diplomatic engagement. Co-chaired by Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha and Sri Lankan High Commissioner Mahishini Colonne, the session formally approved a standard slate of cultural and educational projects.

However, looking closer at the broader macroeconomic and geopolitical landscape, the meeting underscored a much deeper structural alignment between the two nations. Against a backdrop of ongoing economic recovery, bilateral discussions increasingly touch upon critical areas of regional integration, investment, and infrastructure.

Among the key areas attracting attention are post-civil war reconciliation efforts and administrative milestones in the Northern Province.

Discussions in diplomatic circles continue to focus on the progressive release of state-held lands back to civilian inhabitants, alongside the anticipated finalization of provincial council elections to support local governance frameworks.

In the economic sphere, commercial integration remains a central theme as Sri Lanka stabilizes its foreign exchange reserves.

Recent financial dialogues in Colombo were seen exploring mechanisms such as transacting in Indian Rupees (INR), aligning with wider regional efforts to facilitate bilateral trade settlements and mitigate foreign currency pressures. Financial institutions, including the State Bank of India, continue to support these bilateral trade facilitation mechanisms.

Cooperation in the energy sector is also progressing through key joint ventures aimed at harnessing renewable resources. Proposals such as the 200MW solar power project in Sampur, developed via a partnership between NTPC and the Ceylon Electricity Board, highlight ongoing efforts to diversify national power generation. Discussions concerning cross-border grid interconnections further reflect strategies to enhance regional energy security and optimize renewable capacity.

At the same time, ongoing reviews of project tariffs – such as those involving renewable initiatives by firms like Adani Green Energy – demonstrate the government’s focus on balancing capital investments with domestic economic interests.

As the ISLF marks decades of supporting bilateral cultural exchanges through hundreds of initiatives, the overarching partnership between New Delhi and Colombo continues to evolve. Navigating these complex frameworks of trade, energy, and development remains essential as Sri Lanka charts its economic future within the South Asian region.

Business

Sysco LABS named one of Sri Lanka’s Most Outstanding Women-Friendly Workplaces for 2026

Published

5 hours ago

2026/09/2

Sahan Weerasooriya

At the far left and far right, respectively: Ruchini Weerawardena, Senior Manager – Talent Management and Development, and Tashiya Jayatilaka, Team Lead – People Operations accepting the award on behalf of Sysco LABS.

Sysco LABS, the Global Innovation Center of Sysco, has been named one of Sri Lanka’s Most Outstanding Women-Friendly Workplaces at the Women-Friendly Workplace Awards 2026, marking its highest recognition at the awards to date.

The recognition represents an important milestone in Sysco LABS’ ongoing journey to build a workplace where women are supported not only to enter and participate in the technology industry, but to develop, progress and build meaningful long-term careers.

Held recently, the 2026 awards organized by Satynmag continued a six-year journey of recognizing and encouraging organizations to move beyond intention towards meaningful and measurable progress for women at work. This year’s awards placed particular emphasis on a defining question for women-friendly workplaces: beyond representation, how far are women able to go?

This win also reflects a progression in the company’s recognition journey at the Women Friendly Workplaces Awards. Following an “Honorable Mention” in the 2023 edition of the ceremony while winning a special award for “Best Women in STEM Project” in 2025, 2026 marks the first time Sysco LABS has been recognized as one of Sri Lanka’s Most Outstanding Women-Friendly Workplaces.

Business

CCPI-based headline inflation accelerates in August 2026

Published

5 hours ago

2026/09/2

Sahan Weerasooriya

The Colombo Consumer Price Index (CCPI, 2021=100) based headline inflation (year-on-year, Y-o-Y) increased to 8.0% in August 2026 from 7.3% in July 2026, primarily due to the statistical base effect in food inflation. Meanwhile, food inflation (Y-o-Y) increased to 8.5% in August 2026 from 6.3% in July 2026, contributing mainly to the increase in headline inflation, while non-food inflation (Y-o-Y) decelerated to 7.7% in August 2026 from 7.8% in July 2026.

On a month-on-month basis, the CCPI increased by 0.28% in August 2026. This increase was mainly driven by the food category, which contributed 0.20 percentage point, largely owing to the increase in prices of Milk Powder, while the non-food category contributed a marginal 0.07 percentage point.

Meanwhile, core inflation (Y-o-Y) accelerated to 5.1% in August 2026 from 4.4% in July 2026.

According to the inflation projections made at the monetary policy round in July 2026, headline inflation is expected to remain above the target of 5% in the near term, before easing and stabilising around the target over the medium term, supported by appropriate policy measures. These projections are conditional, among other assumptions, on the expectation that the effects of the tensions in the Middle East and their spillovers will be temporary and gradually dissipate.