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Friday, 17 July 2015 00:48 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Sri Lanka tea industry is reaching a milestone of 150 years in 2017.
The Sri Lanka Tea Board along with the Colombo Tea Traders’ Association and other industry stakeholders are planning a grand scale celebration of 150 years of Ceylon Tea during 2017. 
Sri Lanka is one of the top tea growing and exporting countries in the world and the tea industry provides direct and indirect employment to around two million people while the tea growing sector directly employees around 750,000 persons with dependents estimated at three million.
The livelihood of more than 350,000 small holders in the island nation depends entirely on tea farmers. Revenue from the Sri Lanka tea industry in 2014 was $ 1.63 million.
Many large-scale tea industry-related events are being planned from February to August 2017 throughout the island, which includes a Ceylon Tea Expo, a tea convention, tea festivals, tea workshops, seminars and other related events.
The Sri Lanka tea industry has already initiated extending invitations to the international tea fraternity to join in these celebrations including all tea associations, tea councils and tea boards. A series of celebrations is to commence from February 2017 which includes educational workshops and seminars in the 12 identified tea growing areas and also non-tea growing areas.
The Ceylon Tea Expo will be an exposition by Sri Lanka tea exporters, manufacturers and distributors of tea sector machineries and accessories, packaging and printing suppliers, other service providers, and research and development industries in the tea sector.
These events are expected to attract international tea buyers, value chain developers, international tea associations and industry entrepreneurs and tea professionals. It is also planned to carry-out a tea festival and tea-oriented tours for international visitors. The Sri Lanka Tea Board has planned to issue a series of stamps to mark the commemoration of 150 years of the tea industry.
The organising committee comprises officials of the Sri Lanka Tea Board, Colombo Tea Traders’ Association, the Ministry of Plantation Industries and all stakeholders of the tea industry. It has also been decided to have a felicitation ceremony for James Taylor, the founder of the Ceylon Tea industry.
These celebrations to mark the occasion of 150 years of Sri Lanka tea industry will be a unique and momentous occasion for this prime industry of Sri Lanka which plays a vital role in our country.
