Tea production in Sri Lanka
Tea production in Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon, is of high importance to the Sri Lankan economy and the world market. The country is the world's fourth largest producer of tea and the industry is one of the country's main sources of foreign exchange and a significant source of income for laborers, with tea accounting for 15% of the GDP, generating roughly $700 million annually. In 1995 Sri Lanka was the world's leading exporter of tea, (rather than producer) with 23% of the total world export, but it has since been surpassed by Kenya. The tea sector employs, directly or indirectly over 1 million people in Sri Lanka, and in 1995 directly employed 215,338 on tea plantations and estates. The central highlands of the country, low temperature climate throughout the year, annual rainfall and the level of humidity are more favorable geographical factors for production in high quality tea. The industry was introduced to the country in 1867 by James Taylor, the British planter who arrived in 1852
Pre-Tea era
Cinnamon was the first crop to receive government sponsorship in Ceylon, while the island was under Dutch control.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_production_in_Sri_Lanka#cite_note-de_silva-7 During the administration of Dutch governor Iman Willem Falck, cinnamon plantations were planted in Colombo, Maradana, and Cinnamon Gardens in 1769. The first British governor Frederick North prohibited private cinnamon plantations, thereby securing monopoly of the cinnamon plantation for the East India Company. However, an economic slump in the 1830s in England and elsewhere in Europe affected the cinnamon plantations in Ceylon. This resulted in them being decommissioned by William Colebrooke in 1833. Finding cinnamon unprofitable, the British turned to coffee.
By 1825 the Ceylonese already had a knowledge of coffee. They started planting coffee as a garden crop and the first coffee plantation was started in Baddegama in Galle District. Although this venture failed due unsuitability of area to the crop, George Bird became first to start planting coffee on a commercial scale. After Bird begun his coffee plantation in Singhapitiya, Gampola governor Edward Barnes also started a plantation in Gannoruwa. The demand and high price in European market for coffee fueled the rush of coffee planting. Investors flocked to Ceylon from overseas and around 100,000 ha of rain forest was cleared to pave the way for coffee plantations. The term, "Coffee rush", was coined to describe this developing situation in 1840.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_production_in_Sri_Lanka#cite_note-de_silva-7In 1869 the coffee industry was still thriving in Ceylon but shortly afterwards, coffee plantations were devastated by a fungal disease called Hemileia vastatrix or coffee rust, better known as "coffee leaf disease" or ‘coffee blight’.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_production_in_Sri_Lanka#cite_note-8 The planters nicknamed the disease "devastating Emily"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_production_in_Sri_Lanka#cite_note-nickname-9 when it was first identified in the Madolsima area in 1869. Production dipped rapidly as the disease set in and every effort failed to revive the coffee. Of 1700 coffee planters only 400 remained in the island as the rest left for their home countries. The coffee crop died and marked an end of an era when most of the plantations on the island were dedicated towards producing coffee beans. Cocoa and Cinchona were experimented as alternative crops but failed due to a bug, Heloplice antonie. In the 1870s virtually all the remaining coffee planters in Ceylon had switched to the production and cultivation of tea because of the devastating Hemileia vastatrix fungus.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_production_in_Sri_Lanka#cite_note-10By the year 1900, only 11,392 acres were still under coffee cultivation
Cultivation areas
The major tea growing areas are Kandy and Nuwara Eliya in Central Province, Badulla, Bandarawela and Haputale in Uva Province, Galle, Matara and Mulkirigala in Southern Province, Sri Lanka, and Ratnapura and Kegalle in Sabaragamuwa Province.
There are mainly six principal regions planting tea. Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula, Kandy Uda Pussellawa, Uva Province and South.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_production_in_Sri_Lanka#cite_note-pure_ceylon_tea-26Nuwara Eliya is an oval shaped plateau of 6,240 feet of elevation. Nuwara Eliya tea produces a unique flavour.
Dimbula is one the first areas to be planted from 1870's. Height of ranging between 3500 ft to 5000 ft defines this planting area.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_production_in_Sri_Lanka#cite_note-Black_Tea-27 South-western monsoon rain and cold weather from January to March are determining factors of flavour. Eight Subdistricts of Dimbula are Hatton/Dickoya, Bogawanthalawa, Upcot/Maskeliya, Patana/Kotagala, Nanu Oya/Lindula/Talawakele, Agarapatana, Pundaluoya and Ramboda.
Kandy is famous for Mid-grown tea. The first tea plantations were grown here. Tea plantations located 2000 ft to 4000 ft.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_production_in_Sri_Lanka#cite_note-Black_Tea-27Pussellawa/Hewaheta and Matale are the two main subdistricts of the region. Between Nuwara Eliya and Uva Province, Uda Pussellawa situated. Northwest monsoon prevails in this region. Plantations near Nuwara Eliya have a range of rosy teas. The two subdistricts comprised are Maturata and Ragala/Halgranoya.
Uva area's tea have quite a distinctive flavour and widely used for blends. Tea plantations elevation rage from 3000 ft to 5000 ft.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_production_in_Sri_Lanka#cite_note-Black_Tea-27 Being a large district Uva has a number of subdistricts, Malwatte/Welimada, Demodara/Hali-Ela/Badulla, Passara/Lunugala, Madulsima, Ella/Namunukula, Bandarawela/Poonagala, Haputale, Koslanda/Haldummulla.
Low-grown tea is mainly originates from southern Sri Lanka. These teas grown from sea level to 2000 ft, thrive in fertile soils and warm conditions.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_production_in_Sri_Lanka#cite_note-Black_Tea-27 These areas spread across four main subdistricts, Ratnapura/Balangoda, Deniyaya, Matara, Galle.
The high-grown tea thrive in above 1200m of elevation and warm climate and sloping terrain. Hence this type is common in Central highlands.[29] Mid-grown tea is found in 600m-1200m altitude range. Various types of tea is blended to obtain required flavour and colour. Uva Province, and Nuwara Eliya, Dimbuala and Dickoya are the area mid-grown tea originate. Low-grown tea is stronger and less-subtle in taste and produced in Galle, Matara and Ratnapura areas.
Tea production in Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon, is of high importance to the Sri Lankan economy and the world market. The country is the world's fourth largest producer of tea and the industry is one of the country's main sources of foreign exchange and a significant source of income for laborers, with tea accounting for 15% of the GDP, generating roughly $700 million annually. In 1995 Sri Lanka was the world's leading exporter of tea, (rather than producer) with 23% of the total world export, but it has since been surpassed by Kenya. The tea sector employs, directly or indirectly over 1 million people in Sri Lanka, and in 1995 directly employed 215,338 on tea plantations and estates. The central highlands of the country, low temperature climate throughout the year, annual rainfall and the level of humidity are more favorable geographical factors for production in high quality tea. The industry was introduced to the country in 1867 by James Taylor, the British planter who arrived in 1852
Pre-Tea era
Cinnamon was the first crop to receive government sponsorship in Ceylon, while the island was under Dutch control.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_production_in_Sri_Lanka#cite_note-de_silva-7 During the administration of Dutch governor Iman Willem Falck, cinnamon plantations were planted in Colombo, Maradana, and Cinnamon Gardens in 1769. The first British governor Frederick North prohibited private cinnamon plantations, thereby securing monopoly of the cinnamon plantation for the East India Company. However, an economic slump in the 1830s in England and elsewhere in Europe affected the cinnamon plantations in Ceylon. This resulted in them being decommissioned by William Colebrooke in 1833. Finding cinnamon unprofitable, the British turned to coffee.
By 1825 the Ceylonese already had a knowledge of coffee. They started planting coffee as a garden crop and the first coffee plantation was started in Baddegama in Galle District. Although this venture failed due unsuitability of area to the crop, George Bird became first to start planting coffee on a commercial scale. After Bird begun his coffee plantation in Singhapitiya, Gampola governor Edward Barnes also started a plantation in Gannoruwa. The demand and high price in European market for coffee fueled the rush of coffee planting. Investors flocked to Ceylon from overseas and around 100,000 ha of rain forest was cleared to pave the way for coffee plantations. The term, "Coffee rush", was coined to describe this developing situation in 1840.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_production_in_Sri_Lanka#cite_note-de_silva-7In 1869 the coffee industry was still thriving in Ceylon but shortly afterwards, coffee plantations were devastated by a fungal disease called Hemileia vastatrix or coffee rust, better known as "coffee leaf disease" or ‘coffee blight’.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_production_in_Sri_Lanka#cite_note-8 The planters nicknamed the disease "devastating Emily"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_production_in_Sri_Lanka#cite_note-nickname-9 when it was first identified in the Madolsima area in 1869. Production dipped rapidly as the disease set in and every effort failed to revive the coffee. Of 1700 coffee planters only 400 remained in the island as the rest left for their home countries. The coffee crop died and marked an end of an era when most of the plantations on the island were dedicated towards producing coffee beans. Cocoa and Cinchona were experimented as alternative crops but failed due to a bug, Heloplice antonie. In the 1870s virtually all the remaining coffee planters in Ceylon had switched to the production and cultivation of tea because of the devastating Hemileia vastatrix fungus.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_production_in_Sri_Lanka#cite_note-10By the year 1900, only 11,392 acres were still under coffee cultivation
Cultivation areas
The major tea growing areas are Kandy and Nuwara Eliya in Central Province, Badulla, Bandarawela and Haputale in Uva Province, Galle, Matara and Mulkirigala in Southern Province, Sri Lanka, and Ratnapura and Kegalle in Sabaragamuwa Province.
There are mainly six principal regions planting tea. Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula, Kandy Uda Pussellawa, Uva Province and South.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_production_in_Sri_Lanka#cite_note-pure_ceylon_tea-26Nuwara Eliya is an oval shaped plateau of 6,240 feet of elevation. Nuwara Eliya tea produces a unique flavour.
Dimbula is one the first areas to be planted from 1870's. Height of ranging between 3500 ft to 5000 ft defines this planting area.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_production_in_Sri_Lanka#cite_note-Black_Tea-27 South-western monsoon rain and cold weather from January to March are determining factors of flavour. Eight Subdistricts of Dimbula are Hatton/Dickoya, Bogawanthalawa, Upcot/Maskeliya, Patana/Kotagala, Nanu Oya/Lindula/Talawakele, Agarapatana, Pundaluoya and Ramboda.
Kandy is famous for Mid-grown tea. The first tea plantations were grown here. Tea plantations located 2000 ft to 4000 ft.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_production_in_Sri_Lanka#cite_note-Black_Tea-27Pussellawa/Hewaheta and Matale are the two main subdistricts of the region. Between Nuwara Eliya and Uva Province, Uda Pussellawa situated. Northwest monsoon prevails in this region. Plantations near Nuwara Eliya have a range of rosy teas. The two subdistricts comprised are Maturata and Ragala/Halgranoya.
Uva area's tea have quite a distinctive flavour and widely used for blends. Tea plantations elevation rage from 3000 ft to 5000 ft.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_production_in_Sri_Lanka#cite_note-Black_Tea-27 Being a large district Uva has a number of subdistricts, Malwatte/Welimada, Demodara/Hali-Ela/Badulla, Passara/Lunugala, Madulsima, Ella/Namunukula, Bandarawela/Poonagala, Haputale, Koslanda/Haldummulla.
Low-grown tea is mainly originates from southern Sri Lanka. These teas grown from sea level to 2000 ft, thrive in fertile soils and warm conditions.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_production_in_Sri_Lanka#cite_note-Black_Tea-27 These areas spread across four main subdistricts, Ratnapura/Balangoda, Deniyaya, Matara, Galle.
The high-grown tea thrive in above 1200m of elevation and warm climate and sloping terrain. Hence this type is common in Central highlands.[29] Mid-grown tea is found in 600m-1200m altitude range. Various types of tea is blended to obtain required flavour and colour. Uva Province, and Nuwara Eliya, Dimbuala and Dickoya are the area mid-grown tea originate. Low-grown tea is stronger and less-subtle in taste and produced in Galle, Matara and Ratnapura areas.
