By Roy Denish.
Sri Lanka high-grown tea production fell to a 34-year low in August as heavy rain and overcast conditions hit plantation districts.
Sri Lanka’s high-grown tea production plunged to a 34-year low in August as persistent overcast skies and excessive rainfall affected plantation districts, according to preliminary industry data.
High-grown tea output fell to 3.1 million kilograms during the month, marking the lowest monthly volume since the El Niño-affected year of 1992 and a 15.8% contraction compared with the same period last year.
The sharp decline in high-grown harvests dragged total national tea production down 3.7% year-on-year to 18.9 million kilograms in August, from 19.7 million kilograms in August 2025. Medium-grown estates also registered a steep 14% decline to 2.7 million kilograms, although the overall drop was partially offset by low-grown production, which edged up to 13.1 million kilograms.
For the first eight months of the year, cumulative national tea output stood at 172.2 million kilograms, down from 176.9 million kilograms during the corresponding period in 2025. Processing trends showed year-to-date orthodox tea production declining by about 3%, while Crush, Tear, Curl (CTC) output grew by nearly 7% and green tea production expanded by 8%.
Industry analysts noted that while the 1992 production slump was driven by a severe drought earlier in the year, the August downturn stemmed from the opposite weather extreme. However, Siyaka Research warned that agricultural operations could face renewed pressure following meteorological forecasts predicting extremely dry and hot conditions in the first quarter of next year.
