Tea sector steadies as full-year output rises despite December drop

Sri Lanka’s tea output weakened slightly in December 2025 from a year earlier. 

The decline highlighted the persistent short-term volatility in the country’s key plantation export.

Tea production in December 2025 totalled 21.37 million kilogrammes. This marked a fall of 0.44 million kilogrammes, from 21.81 million kilogrammes in December 2024. The output declined across all elevations, except the high grown segment, while green tea production recorded a marginal increase compared with the same month last year.

However, December 2025 production was stronger than in December 2023. The output rose by 1.56 million kilogrammes, from 19.81 million kilogrammes, reflecting an improvement from the levels seen two years earlier.

On a cumulative basis, Sri Lanka’s tea production for January to December 2025 rose to 264.12 million kilogrammes. This was an increase of 1.43 million kilogrammes, from 262.69 million kilogrammes in the corresponding period of 2024. All elevations recorded higher a output compared with last year.

Compared with the January-December 2023 production of 256.09 million kilogrammes, the cumulative output in 2025 was higher by 8.03 million kilogrammes. All elevations, except the high grown segment, posted positive variances over the two-year period, pointing to a recovery, driven mainly by the mid and low grown teas.