The Sri Lanka tea industry remains resilient following Cyclone Ditwah

The severe weather conditions resulting from Cyclone Ditwah, which hit Sri Lanka on 29 November with devastating rains and tempests, have generated heavy flooding and landslides in several regions. An official press release issued by the chairman of the Colombo Tea Traders’ Association (CTTA) provides an important and reassuring update on the situation.

“The CTTA underlines that, despite the challenges posed by the cyclone, Sri Lanka’s tea sector remains resilient and operational. Key tea-growing regions have already begun returning to normal activity, manufacturing capacity has not been lost, and transportation routes are being restored,” shared Barbara Dufrêne, former Secretary General of the European Tea Committee and editor of La Nouvelle du Thé, and long-time T&CTJ contributing writer. “As you will read below, the industry’s unified response reflects the strength and stability of the Ceylon Tea value chain and the industry’s continued commitment to ensuring the uninterrupted supply of Ceylon Tea to global markets.”

The CTTA is the private sector apex body of the tea industry. The Committee of the association encompasses a broad spectrum of industry stakeholders that includes representatives from The Planters’ Association of Ceylon, Sri Lanka Tea Factory Owners’ Association, Colombo Brokers Association, Tea Exporters’ Association, Sri Lanka Federation of Tea Smallholdings Development Societies and Tea Small Holding Development Authority. The press release stated that the [Sri Lanka] tea industry “has, time and again, demonstrated its remarkable capacity to overcome adversity, with all stakeholders uniting collectively to address and resolve challenges. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the industry ensured continuity by successfully digitalising the tea auction process, transitioning from the traditional outcry system to a fully virtual platform, thereby maintaining uninterrupted weekly auctions. Similarly, during the period of severe economic crisis, despite numerous constraints, production, sales, and exports continued without disturbance.”

The CTTA shared that Cyclone Ditwah, which recently affected Sri Lanka, presents yet another challenge for the tea industry. “However, it is by no means insurmountable. The well-established and highly coordinated industry network is fully geared to confront these issues head-on.”

The association said that while some tea-growing areas in the Uva and the Central Province were impacted, there has been no loss of manufacturing capacity. The damage was largely confined to specific roads, resulting in temporary disruptions to transportation. Several key routes connecting plantations to the city have now been reopened, and transport services are resuming normal operations. Harvesting operations are gradually returning to normal, with access roads been reopened and temporary access roads been constructed to facilitate transport of green leaf and produce. Most plantations and smallholder lands in the South of the Island along with the main road network have been spared from cyclone damage. As a result, harvesting, manufacturing and transportation activities are continuing as usual.

The trading activities at the Colombo Tea Auctions continue to be held albeit with a revised calendar. The Tea Auction previously set for the first week of December has been rescheduled to the last week of December. This adjustment ensures uninterrupted financial flows to the producers, including smallholders, maintaining the momentum of the industry.

According to the CTTA, the rise of the Kelani River and the resulting floods affected a limited number of exporters’ offices and warehouses. The floods have now receded and on an initial assessment it has been observed that some machinery such as tea-bagging machines are damaged. “The industry is working tirelessly to restore the damaged machinery and are fully equipped to serve the overseas clients without interruptions and assure timely delivery as usual.”

The CTTA reported that Sri Lanka tea production from January to October 2025 is 220,972,295 kgs, this is an increase of 3,318,755 Kgs compared with the year-ago period. Production in 2025 has also surpassed the production in 2023 in a similar period.

The release further stated that “the Sri Lankan tea industry has consistently demonstrated its resilience in the face of adversities and are confident that with the collective efforts of all in the value chain, shall navigate these challenging times. The Colombo Tea Traders’ Association shall continue to work with the officials of the Government to speedily resolve any issues in a collaborative approach. Together we are all united in our commitment to supply Ceylon Tea globally and remain optimistic about the future.”