2025 to set tea export record?

• 239 million kg tea exported up to Nov. 2025, compared to 223 million kg up to Nov. 2024
• Around $ 1.4 b export revenue up to Nov. 2025, compared to $ 1.3 b up to Nov. 2024 
• Decrease in production in December 2025 as compared to 2024

Sri Lanka is set to record year-on-year growth in tea exports in 2025 compared to 2024, although gains in production volumes remain uncertain pending the release of official figures following the impact of Cyclone Ditwah, reveals the Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB).

Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, SLTB Chairman Rajpal Obeyesekere, commenting on the latest official export figures, stated that up to November 2025, Sri Lanka had exported 239 million kg of tea, compared to 223 million kg during the corresponding period in 2024, representing an increase of 16 million kg.

He further noted that in value terms, Sri Lanka had earned around $ 1.4 billion from tea exports during the first 11 months of 2025, compared to $ 1.3 billion during the same period in 2024, reflecting an increase of about $ 97 million.

“On the export side, there is plus on quantities and there is plus on values when comparing the periods of January to November 2025 with 2024,” he stated. 

Commenting further, Obeyesekere stated that prices had dipped at the final auction of the year, which was expected, as demand from export markets, particularly Europe, typically slowed during this period.

He added that based on the January to November figures currently available, it was evident that Sri Lanka’s tea export performance in 2025 would register year-on-year growth compared to 2024. However, the same is not expected to apply to production figures, particularly in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah.

The SLTB Chairman noted that tea production in December 2025 was expected to be affected by the impact of Cyclone Ditwah, although the exact extent of the impact was not known yet, as production data for the month would only be available by mid-January.

“There will definitely be a decrease in production (in December 2025) as compared to 2024, because there was one week during which nothing was being done and it took some time for things to return to normal,” he stated.

“With regard to production, I believe it will be touch and go compared to 2024. We were expecting an increase, but the one-week production loss in December is a significant loss of around 4–5 million kg.”

He asserted that operations in the tea industry had largely returned to normal and that production had recovered to around 90% of usual levels at present.

Source: The morning