Saturday May 16, 2026
Saturday May 16, 2026
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January-April cumulative production down 5.3% year-on-year to 83.94 Mn/Kgs
Green Tea segment only category to record growth during the month
Sri Lanka’s tea production declined sharply in April 2026, with weak Low Grown performance weighing on the national crop amid extremely dry weather conditions and reduced fertiliser application by smallholder farmers during the previous quarter.
According to data compiled by Forbes & Walker Research, national tea production for April stood at 24.22 million kilograms (Mn/Kgs), down from 26.47 Mn/Kgs recorded in the corresponding month last year, a decline of 2.25 Mn/Kgs or 8.5% year-on-year.
Low Grown teas recorded the steepest fall, declining to 12.64 Mn/Kgs from 14.76 Mn/Kgs a year earlier, a drop of 14.4%. Industry sources said weaker output from the smallholder sector continued to affect both Low and Medium Growns, contributing to subdued national crop performance.
High Grown production remained relatively stable, declining marginally by 0.7% year-on-year to 6.19 Mn/Kgs, while Medium Growns fell 1.8% to 5.15 Mn/Kgs. The Green Tea segment was the only category to record positive growth during the month, increasing 8.3% year-on-year to 0.24 Mn/Kgs.
Compared with April 2024 production of 21.68 Mn/Kgs, however, output in April 2026 remained higher by 2.54 Mn/Kgs.
On a cumulative basis, tea production for the January-April 2026 period fell to 83.94 Mn/Kgs from 88.63 Mn/Kgs in the corresponding period of 2025, reflecting a decline of 4.69 Mn/Kgs or 5.3%.
The sharpest cumulative decline was again recorded in the Low Grown category, which fell 6.1% year-on-year to 48.73 Mn/Kgs. Medium Growns declined 6.7% to 15.02 Mn/Kgs, while High Growns fell 2.4% to 19.35 Mn/Kgs.
The Green Tea segment continued to outperform other categories, recording cumulative growth of 4.6% year-on-year to 0.84 Mn/Kgs.
The data highlighted continued pressure on Sri Lanka’s tea sector from adverse weather conditions and weaker smallholder output during a key harvesting period.
Asia Siyaka Commodities PLC said the latest data underscored the continued vulnerability of Sri Lanka’s tea sector to adverse weather conditions, particularly during key harvesting periods.
It also observed that all elevation categories, with the exception of the Green Tea segment, recorded negative variances compared with the corresponding month last year, highlighting the broad-based nature of the production slowdown.
On a cumulative basis, Asia Siyaka Commodities PLC said production trends indicated continued pressure on the sector during the first four months of the year, particularly within the Low and Medium Grown categories, which remained affected by weaker smallholder output and weather-related disruptions.
