Has Climate Change put the world-famous Ceylon Tea on the line? 

Tea has been one of the main crops in Sri Lanka for over 150 years, in addition to coconut and rubber. Tea produced in Sri Lanka, popularly known as Ceylon tea, is loved by people worldwide. Hence, it has also become a primary net foreign exchange earner and a country’s income source. In 2022, Sri Lanka made 1..2 billion USD in export revenue by selling 250 million kg of tea to foreign countries. Read more here, Archived.

However, the Climate is Changing, and along with it, some of the crucial environments for tea plants to grow also change. How long can Sri Lanka sustain its tea industry? Is there an alternative income generation method for Sri Lanka to replace tea? How does the Changing Climate impact the tea plantations of Sri Lanka? 

The Climate Fact Checks team investigated the matter with a leading agriculture and plantation pioneer in Elpitiya Plantations PLC. We spoke to Mr . Pradeep WIthanage, Senior Manager at Elpitiya Plantations, to find answers to these questions from his experience in the industry. 

The Tea Industry in Sri Lanka 

The pioneer of commercial tea plantations in Sri Lanka was James Taylor, who came to the Island in the 1850s for a coffee plantation. As the coffee plantation failed due to leaf disease, tea was grown as an alternate crop at Loolcandora Estate, which paved the way for the industry it has created in Sri Lanka now. 

In 1873, a 23-pound (10 kg) package was exported from Ceylon to the UK. This small quantity increased to 9 million pounds (4 million kilograms)  in 1886; by 1890, the tea exports weighed 40 million pounds (18 million kilograms).  Sri Lanka was reputed as the world’s largest tea exporter in 1990, and the production increased after the re-privatization of plantation management. Currently, Sri Lanka produces around 300 million kilograms of tea, with a share of about 22% of the world tea market. This makes up 20%  of Sri Lanka’s export earnings, contributing significantly to government revenue and Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In addition, the tea industry generates 600,000 direct jobs (and many more indirectly) and is Sri Lanka’s largest single employer.

Vulnerability of Tea Plantations in Sri Lanka to Climate Change

The Tea industry in Sri Lanka has been identified as highly vulnerable to climate change. This is because the weather heavily influences the tea yield. Unpredictable weather can harm the tea industry, and it seldom depends on irrigation. Most tea plantations in the country are rain-fed. Hence, the timely monsoon rains play a significant role in creating a good harvest. On the contrary, heavy rains can cause the soil to erode, washing away the topsoil and the applied fertilizer. In finding solutions to this problem, this is what Mr. Pradeep had to say “As you are aware that the tea industry is highly dependent on climate and weather, We have identified this, and we are harvesting over 259 million Liters of rainwater in 77 rainwater harvesting ponds Annually to irrigate and recharge our soil to mitigate the drought effect. In addition, to minimize soil erosion and sustain the microclimate, the company has initiated the restoration and development of 166 Hectares of identified lands along stream reservations and catchment areas by planting native trees and Bamboo varieties. 

The Tea plantations in Sri Lanka are divided into three main regions based on the different climatic zones they’re grown in. Each region produces tea of different flavors creating demands in various parts of the world. The low country tea grows 2000 ft above sea level, mainly in the wet zone between Ruhuna and Sabaragamuwa areas. The mid-country tea grows 2000 ft – 4000 ft above sea level in the central hills of Kandy. Finally, with the most significant demands, up-country tea grows in higher altitudes ranging from Nuwara Eliya, Udu Pussellawa, and Dambulla. The different climatic conditions in these regions give rise to the unique flavors. However, it also means that these regions are susceptible to different climatic variations, with various problems arising. Hence, it is essential to address these problems separately. Read more about the areas here, Archived. 

Spread of Weed and Pests in the Changing Climate

There has been a noticeable increase in the spread of Invasive Alien Species (IAS) plants and animals in the last decade due to the slow but steady increase in annual environmental temperatures. Read more here Archived    However, in the tea plantations; this problem has been managed quite successfully. 

According to Mr. Pradeep, a significant rise in the IAS has not been observed in the tea estates. They regularly monitor and manage the weed and pests using integrated management plans to avoid serious invasions. This is done to prevent any severe economic loss to the industry. 

However, he added that they had reduced the use of chemical weedicides and pesticides by 70% and are looking into more holistic approaches to conserve both the soil and related ecosystems. In this light, they have recently introduced a friendly weed concept that encourages soft weeds to grow, keeping the soils fertile.  This practice has kept them from blanket spraying the grounds with harmful chemicals. 

Preventing Soil Degradation 

Tea is a 150-year-old mono cultivation in the country. Hence soil degradation is inevitable. Moreover, especially in upcountry tea plantations, rows of tea bushes grown on slopes give rise to continuous topsoil runoff, causing soil degradation. This creates a more significant demand for external fertilizers, eventually destroying the naturally existing soil biocontrol agents. 

Mr. Pradeep says that as a prevention mechanism for this problem,  The company has identified the importance of improving the soil fertility to improve the crop and yields. They apply over 4.8 million kg of organic compost annually to improve soil carbon by around 3% by 2030. In addition, planting cover crops and other soil conservation methods are applied to avoid soil erosion. 

Among the best practices to prevent soil degradation in tea plantations are crop diversification, intercropping, and sloping agriculture land technology (SALT). Read more about this method here. 

Managing the WorkForce in Tea Estates. 

One of the immediate threats to the tea industry, besides Climate Change, is managing its workforce. Tea is a labor-intensive sector dependent on them for field operations and manufacturing processes. However, there is a current trend of outgoing labor from the plantation sector searching for other employment opportunities in more developed cities. According to the Statistical Information on Plantation Crops (SIPC) kept by the Ministry of Plantation Industry, the number of registered laborers in the large-scale tea estates was 497,995 in 1988. It had declined to 405,304 in 1990; as of 2011, it further fell to 207,235, a 58% decline in the last two decades. Read more here, Archived. 

Mr. Pradeep mentioned, “His company considers the workforce the most valuable asset and has taken all the measures to improve the living standards and livelihoods of the workers and their families. They have provided better health, education facilities, new housing, and employment  opportunities for over 95% within the community.” But he also added, highlighting the challenge of the outmigration of workers due to higher financial benefits, although the facilities provided in the estates have been enhanced. In addition, additional income generation projects are helpful to the educated youth. In addition, most of the fieldwork, like pruning, spraying, and plucking, has been mechanized to attract the youth into the tea industry.  

In Conclusion

The Sri Lankan economy depends highly on the tea industry for export income generation. Hence, the country must avoid losing it to Climate Change. The tea plantation companies have acknowledged the issue and are taking immediate action to alleviate the problems that may arise. Accordingly, they have taken a more holistic approach to conserving resource utilization while sustaining the industry and its dependencies. 

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