🍵 TEA's 27th AGM Highlights Ceylon Tea Resilience Amid Global Disruptions

• Leadership & Target: Huzefa Akbarally re-appointed as Chairman for 2026/2027. The industry targets reaching 350M kg in production by 2030 with government support. • Supply Chain & Operational Shock: ~85% of Ceylon tea shipping routes face disruption, forcing re-routing via Cape of Good Hope, alongside multi-fold freight rate hikes, Cyclone Ditwa, and SVAT abolishment. • Smallholder Incomes: Smallholder monthly household income could potentially reach ~Rs. 94,000 (a 4-fold increase) via targeted yield boosting like block infilling. • Macroeconomic Context: Keynote speaker Dr. Nishan De Mel noted Sri Lanka's 2026 buffers, with tourism down only 1.8% and remittances up 21.4% YoY (up to July) offsetting higher oil import costs. He noted the Rs. 200 estate wage increase sensibly addresses regressive post-2022 poverty trends. • Policy Demands: TEA calls for restoring the Tea Board brand promotion scheme, value-added export incentives, and spice imports for value-added tea.