As Sri Lanka rolls out an ambitious child welfare programme across plantation districts, small tea growers warn that rising costs, pricing disputes, and alleged weighing irregularities are pushing the backbone of the estate economy toward breaking point.
In Sri Lanka’s plantation heartland, two powerful realities are unfolding at the same time. On one side stands a nationwide child protection initiative aimed at safeguarding vulnerable children in estate communities. On the other, deepening economic anxiety grips the tea sector, where smallholders say survival itself is under threat. Together, these parallel developments reveal the complex social and financial pressures shaping one of the country’s most vital export industries.
The National Child Protection Authority has joined hands with the Plantation Human Development Trust to implement an islandwide child protection programme through 2026. The initiative targets estate communities across 12 districts identified as high risk for child welfare concerns. It represents one of the most structured child safety drives seen in plantation areas in recent years, combining policy coordination, field-level monitoring, and community engagement.
The programme is already active in districts such as Ratnapura, Kegalle, Nuwara Eliya, Monaragala, and Kurunegala. Authorities say these areas have recorded higher levels of child exploitation, teenage pregnancy, and social vulnerability. Officials describe the intervention as a balanced model that merges urgent protective measures with long-term educational and legal strategies. The aim is not only to respond to abuse but also to prevent it through awareness, school retention, and institutional accountability.
Implementation begins at the grassroots level. Localized committees composed of community leaders, government officers, and estate management representatives gather data, identify risk factors, and tailor solutions to each estate’s realities. Conditions differ widely. In some communities, early pregnancy dominates concern lists, while in others child labour remains a pressing issue. Monitoring teams evaluate progress before and after interventions to measure real impact and sustainability.
Additional support focuses on students with learning difficulties, reproductive health education, and labour rights awareness. A key objective is to ensure that children growing up in plantation communities understand that education offers pathways beyond generational estate work. Breaking the cycle of poverty is central to the broader child welfare strategy, particularly in regions historically marked by limited mobility and economic dependency.
Yet even as child protection frameworks expand, the economic foundation of the plantation system faces mounting stress. Small tea growers have raised serious concerns about alleged irregularities in the weighing and purchasing of green tea leaves. They are calling for mandatory computerised weighing systems to replace manual processes they claim leave room for manipulation. Industry representatives argue that outdated machines at collection centres lead to disputes, mistrust, and measurable financial losses. Pilot digital systems introduced in select areas have reportedly reduced such discrepancies, strengthening the case for reform.
Cost pressures are adding further strain. Wage increases for estate workers, rising fertiliser prices, and escalating maintenance costs are compressing already thin profit margins. Producers state that current green leaf prices ranging between Rs. 190 and Rs. 200 per kilogram are unsustainable. Many estimate that at least Rs. 250 per kilogram is required to maintain viability and protect smallholder livelihoods.
Appeals have been submitted to the Sri Lanka Tea Board, the Tea Small Holding Development Authority, and the Ministry of Plantation Industries. However, growers say meaningful policy responses have yet to materialize. Delays, they warn, risk compounding frustration across a sector that supports hundreds of thousands of families.
The economic stakes are considerable. Tea cultivation occupies nearly 16 percent of Sri Lanka’s arable land. Smallholders manage around 60 percent of that area and contribute more than 70 percent of national output. Analysts caution that unresolved pricing structures, infrastructure gaps, and procurement trust deficits could weaken long-term sustainability.
The convergence of child protection reform and tea sector instability highlights a defining challenge for Sri Lanka’s plantation economy. Safeguarding vulnerable children and preserving the livelihoods of tea growers are not separate battles. They are deeply connected pillars of social stability and economic resilience in one of the nation’s most globally recognized export industries.
SOURCE :- SRI LANKA GUARDIAN
