The Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna - Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure
Tea smallholders account for about 75 per cent of Sri Lanka’s total tea production, and there were 662 registered tea factories as of 2015, of which 567 were producing, with the highest numbers in Ratnapura, Nuwara Eliya, Kandy and Matara districts. The Minister stated that the Sri Lanka Tea Board inspects factories for new registrations, reactivations and renewals, and conducts monthly inspections covering production, processes and fair prices. He also said active factories may cease production temporarily or permanently due to management weaknesses, inadequate green leaf supply, ownership disputes, disasters, environmental issues or Tea Board suspensions under the Tea Control Act.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Answer to question on registered tea factories:
¶ 02 (a) (i) Tea smallholders contribute about 75% of total tea production. (ii) Yes. (iii) Registered tea factories and (as of 2015) producing factories by district:
¶ 03 - Badulla: 49 registered / 41 producing - Colombo: 1 / 1 - Galle: 74 / 65 - Hambantota: 6 / 5 - Kalutara: 38 / 31 - Kandy: 101 / 90 - Kegalle: 13 / 12 - Matale: 20 / 17 - Matara: 92 / 89 - Nuwara Eliya: 129 / 116 - Ratnapura: 139 / 100 - Total: 662 registered / 567 producing
¶ 04 (iv) Yes. (v) Yes. The Sri Lanka Tea Board conducts on-site inspections for new registrations, re-activations of inactive factories, and renewals. Tea Board officers also inspect each factory monthly and report on production, processes and fair prices. (vi) Not applicable. (vii) Yes. Active factories step out of production in the following situations: - Temporary stoppages due to weak management. - Closures due to inadequate green leaf supply and management decisions. - Ownership disputes. - Natural disasters and environmental issues. - Suspension for a specified period by the Tea Board for violations under the Tea Control Act.
¶ 05 Some closed factories reopen; others remain permanently out of production.
¶ 06 (b) Not applicable.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Wednesday, 18 June 2025 ·No. 1751280704002343 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: The Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna - Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 18 June 2025. No. 1751280704002343. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/6782