Tea crop falls in August, YTD production up

Thursday, 18 September 2025 05:12 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

August tea production down by 1.66 Mnkg to 19.68 Mnkg
Crop falls at all elevation levels YoY, except for Green Tea segment
Jan.-Aug. crop up by 4.34 Mnkg to 176.82 Mnkg

Sri Lanka’s tea crop posted mixed results in August, with monthly production falling year-on-year (YoY), while cumulative output for the first eight months of 2025 showed healthy growth compared to both 2024 and 2023.

Data analysed by Forbes & Walker Research said tea production in August 2025 amounted to 19.68 million kilograms (Mnkg), down by 1.66 Mnkg or 7.77% YoY against 21.34 Mnkg recorded in August 2024.

All elevations registered declines during the month, except for the Green Tea segment, which managed to record gains over the corresponding period last year. However, when compared with 18.36 Mnkg produced in August 2023, the latest monthly figure reflects an improvement of 7.20% YoY or 1.32 Mnkg.

Despite the setback in August, Forbes & Walker Research noted that the cumulative tea crop for January-August 2025 rose to 176.82 Mnkg, marking an increase of 4.34 Mnkg or 2.51%, over 172.48 Mnkg in the same period of 2024. All elevations contributed to the YoY growth in the first eight months.

When compared with 174.59 Mnkg for January-August 2023, this year’s cumulative total shows an increase of 2.23 Mnkg. On this longer-term comparison, however, only Low and Medium Grown teas, along with Green Tea, registered positive variances, while the High Grown output dipped slightly.

Industry analysts note that while August’s weaker performance may reflect weather and operational challenges, the overall trajectory for 2025 so far points to a steady recovery in production volumes, supported by consistent gains in most growing regions.