Sri Lanka Tea Production Dips 3.6% in January 2026 📈

Sri Lanka’s tea industry started the year with a slight contraction, as a significant drop in Low Grown output offset gains in other elevations. • Overall Figures: Total production for January 2026 reached 20.68 M/kg, a decline of 3.63% YoY (0.78 M/kg) compared to January 2025. However, output remained 11.59% higher than January 2024 levels. • Sector Breakdown: • High Grown: Rose 4.04% to 4.76 M/kg. • Medium Grown: Edged up 0.35% to 3.41 M/kg. • Low Grown: Declined sharply by 7.32% to 12.32 M/kg. • Green Tea: Fell 1.24% to 0.19 M/kg. • 2025 Retrospective: The dip follows a resilient 2025 where total tea production reached 264.12 M/kg (+0.57% YoY). Tea export earnings for 2025 grew by 6% YoY, totaling US$ 1.51 Bn. • National Context: While the tea sector remains a vital source of employment and foreign exchange, the January results reflect the impact of supply-side challenges in low-grown regions, which typically dominate the export volume.