Decline In Tea Production Raises Concern
The Tea Promotion Division has said the decline in the country’s annual tea production needed to be addressed immediately.
Director of the Tea Promotion Division, Asitha Alwis has observed that Sri Lanka’s tea production had declined to 290 million kilos in 2009 compared to 311 million kilos in 2005.
According to Alwis, Kenya has become the newest threat to Sri Lanka in the international tea market although the country’s previous competitors were China and India.
He warned that a future crisis in the tea industry could result in the loss of close to two million jobs in the industry.