Sri Lanka: Time to take swift action Protest Tea Industry

The current environment does not augur well for the smooth functioning of commercial activities, and the tea trade is no exception.Statement from the Colombo Tea Traders' Association (CTTA)The Colombo Tea Traders' Association (CTTA), which comprises all tea industry stakeholders, namely the growers, manufacturers, Plantation company estates, brokers, and exporters, views with deep concern the prevailing situation facing the nation.

The recent events which took place in the aftermath of the island-wide protests have only aggravated the position with disruptions to the normal life of the people and businesses.The current environment does not augur well for the smooth functioning of commercial activities, and the tea trade is no exception.

The CTTA firmly believes that the government must give a hearing to the justifiable cries of the people. If these pleas are not heeded, the whole country, including the industries, will come to a standstill resulting in the country losing much-needed revenue.

This outcome will have a further dampening effect on the already ailing economy of Sri Lanka.The Tea industry, which employs approx.

10% of the total population in all sectors of the value chain contributes around USD 1.3 Billion annually by way of foreign revenue to the country's coffers.

It is pertinent to state that in the turbulent 2020 and 2021 when Sri Lanka was not spared from the Covid-19 pandemic, the tea industry functioned uninterruptedly to ensure the nearly 500,000 smallholder families received their incomesand a similar number of tea workers in the plantations their wages.The 155-year-old tea industry has been remarkably resilient over the past decades, having overcome many challenges, including natural calamities and insurrections.

It is pertinent to state that even during the 30-year-old civil war that ended 13 years ago, the Sri Lankan tea industry continued to supply the international markets, thus signifying the reliability of "Ceylon Tea".All sectors of the tea industry are committed to ensuring uninterrupted supplies to all tea importing...