January tea production falls 4% year-on-year

The Ceylon Tea production slipped in January 2026 from a year earlier, as the weaker output from the low-grown areas outweighed the gains at the higher elevations, the industry data showed.

Tea production totalled 20.68 million kilogrammes in January, down 0.78 million kilogrammes, from 21.46 million kilogrammes in the same month last year. The high and medium-grown regions recorded an increase, while the low-grown output fell by 0.97 million kilogrammes compared with January 2025.

The output, however, remained above the levels seen two years ago. January production was up 2.14 million kilogrammes, from 18.54 million kilogrammes in January 2024.

For the full year 2025, Sri Lanka produced 264.12 million kilogrammes of tea, a rise of 1.43 million kilogrammes, from 262.69 million kilogrammes in 2024, with all three elevation categories posting higher volumes. The low-grown CTC segment recorded a decline, while the high and medium-grown categories increased.

Tea exports also rose in 2025, climbing by 11.65 million kilogrammes compared with the previous year, alongside the modest increase in production, the data showed.