Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe (right) shakes hands with the Colombo Tea Traders Association chairman, Sanjay Herath, at the 2024 Colombo International Tea Convention. Photo credit: CITC24
President Ranil Wickremesinghe announced several policy and strategic changes for the Sri Lankan tea industry in remarks during the opening session of the Colombo International Tea Convention on July 25.
He said tea is an important sector of what will become a highly competitive, export-oriented economy in the next decade.
He acknowledged, “Our transformation from a feudal economy to a modern economy in the 19th and 20th centuries was driven by our plantation industry, by tea.”
Today, said Wickremesinghe, “I don’t think we need plantations. We need thriving agro-businesses, both smallholders and large management companies, who will seek the highest earnings possible. So that is the beginning.”
Wickremesinghe said the government would re-gazette plantation-owned housing into named villages where anyone may establish a home. “If we go to the corporate estates, we don't have anyone living in there that belongs to us. No one lives next to a factory. They come from nearby,” he said.
Tea planters should integrate land use and factory production to produce clean, sustainable tea that meets zero-emission targets. “We'll bring the climate change legislation and the new environmental laws, which would enable us to hit zero even before the target date,” he said.
Wickremesinghe continued, “Our objectives can only be achieved by adapting environmentally and socially sustainable, ethical, innovative, and commercially oriented agriculture practices.”
These include:
- Move from tea plantations to an agro-business model, optimally utilizing all land and resources. As a first step, the government will establish villages where workers and others may live.
- Proper funding should be provided for new types of research, said Wickremesinghe. Collaboration among all tea-producing and consuming countries is required for sustainable innovation.
- Sri Lanka will introduce climate change legislation and new environmental laws, enabling the country to hit net zero even before the target date. The intent is to align new agro-based tea ventures to achieve net zero emission targets.
- Develop a clear strategy to attract younger generations to drink tea.
- Address access to the Russian market: “Sanctions have not in any way set back Russia,” said Wickremesinghe.
“What is the future of tea?” he asked rhetorically. “Are people going to drink tea the way we drink tea? What are the Millennials, Gen Z, and all going to do? Now that’s your future. And that future is not in Sri Lanka, except for the promotion and the R&D you are doing here. You have to carry your battle straight into these areas, Europe and America. Are they going to drink iced tea? Are they going to have a tea drink? We do not know,” said Wickremesinghe.
Sri Lanka’s Agriculture and Plantation Industries Minister, Mahinda Amaraweera, announced that by the end of 2024, “we will establish a globally accepted national sustainability standard for Ceylon tea.”
“This is a significant milestone for the Sri Lankan tea sector and a testament to our commitment to addressing the challenges of climate change and ensuring the development and well-being of plantation workers and smallholder farmers,” said Amaraweera.
“The new standard is based on a regenerative agriculture model promoting low-carbon tea production. This multifaceted approach involves a lifecycle analysis to ensure our tea production processes are environmentally sustainable and economically valuable,” he said.
Sri Lanka Tea Board Chair Niraj de Mel explained that the convention theme, “Tea A Lifestyle and a Livelihood, resonates deeply with our ongoing commitment to uplifting the livelihood of communities in the growing regions.”
“It is vital to recognize the dual role tea plays not only as a cherished beverage but also as a foundation of livelihood and a vibrant lifestyle. This convention allows us to share the progress we have made and the lessons learned from our journey to transform Ceylon tea to cater to the needs of the future,” said de Mel.
“We must focus on enhancing the livelihoods of our key producers and workers. The well-being of our workforce is linked to the quality and success of our tea industry. We must prioritize the welfare of our tea workers. This entails improving working conditions, offering fair wages, and ensuring access to essential services, such as health care and education,” said de Mel.
“Empowering our workforce through training and development programs is crucial. Equipping workers with skills and knowledge enables them to contribute more effectively to the industry. We have to go beyond the fields and factories; tea must be integrated into our lives and promoted as a product that connects people and brings joy.”
The convention drew an audience of more than 730 tea professionals, making CITC the best-attended tea conference in Sri Lanka since 2017. The Colombo Tea Traders Association and the Sri Lanka Tea Board organized the convention, including an exhibition hall featuring tea producers and related businesses in Sri Lanka.