John does a James?

Thursday, 19 April 2012 01:58 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Whilst it was British citizen James Taylor who introduced tea to Sri Lanka (then Ceylon), present-day United Kingdom's envoy John Ranking this week made his first visit to the Hill country and got 'up, close and personal' with tea plantation stakeholders.

He inspected the Court Lodge Tea factory in Kandapola, run by UK-owned Finlays, and visited some of the houses of the estate workers.Apart from being captivated by the huge potential for tourism in the Hill country, Ranking said though tea industry faces challenges, he was confident that the rich quality of Ceylon tea will continue to ensure demand. "The eco-friendly operation of Finlays Tea in support of the Rain Forest Alliance is an excellent example of modern development of the industry. I was also pleased to meet estate workers, see their living conditions and understand the challenges they face," UK High Commissioner Rankin added.

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