High Grown Tea Production Slumps to an All-Time Low

Preliminary tea production data released by the Sri Lanka Tea Board confirms that September 2026 production declined to 20.2 Mnkg, down by nearly 9% compared with 22.1 Mnkg recorded in September 2025.

High Grown production in September stood at 3.49 Mnkg, the lowest level since the El Niño year of 1992, when production was similarly low at 3.5 Mnkg. While Sri Lanka experienced a severe drought in 1992, excessive rainfall and unfavourable growing conditions have adversely affected production in September this year.

Mid Grown production declined to 3.091 Mnkg, its lowest level since 2023, representing a 25% year-on-year drop from 4.1 Mnkg recorded in September 2025. Low Grown production, however, fared relatively better, increasing by 4.8% year-on-year to 13.6 Mnkg.

Cumulative production for January–September 2026 amounted to 192.6 Mnkg, a disappointing 3% decline from 199 Mnkg recorded during the corresponding period last year.

All three elevations recorded lower cumulative production compared with 2025. Combined High Grown and Mid Grown production declined by approximately 4 Mnkg, while Low Grown production recorded a reduction of around 2 Mnkg year-on-year.