Tea production falls 2.1% in May

Sri Lanka’s tea production declined in May 2026 as lower output from high- and medium-grown regions offset marginal gains in low-grown teas, according to industry data.

Total production for May stood at 24.91 million kg, down 2.1% from 25.43 million kg in the same month last year, data compiled by Forbes & Walker Research showed.

The decline was mainly driven by high-grown production, which fell 3.9%, and medium-grown output, which dropped 7.6%, reflecting continued production pressure in higher elevation plantations. In contrast, low-grown tea production, which accounts for the largest share of national output, rose slightly by 0.6% to 14.51 million kg, providing a partial offset to the overall decline. Green tea output also edged lower during the month.

On a cumulative basis, tea production during January to May 2026 totalled 108.95 million kg, down 4.5% or 5.11 million kg from 114.06 million kg in the same period of 2025. The decline was broad-based across elevations, with low-grown output falling by 3.06 million kg, medium-grown by 1.42 million kg, and high-grown by 0.66 million kg, while green tea also recorded a contraction.

Despite the year-on-year decline, industry performance remains stronger when compared with 2024. Total production in the first five months of 2026 was higher by 4.15 million kg compared with the same period in 2024. Over that longer comparison period, high-grown production increased 10.9%, medium-grown output rose 5.9%, low-grown production edged up 0.6%, and green tea production recorded the strongest growth at 24%.