Camellia sinensis is a species of evergreen shrub or small tree in the flowering plant family Theaceae. Its leaves, leaf buds, and stems can be used to produce tea. Common names include tea plant, tea shrub, and tea tree.
Nilgiri tea is a drink made by infusing leaves of Camellia sinensis that is grown and processed in the Nilgiris district in Tamil Nadu, India. The leaves are processed as black tea, though some estates have expanded their product offerings to include leaves suitable for making green, white and oolong teas. It is generally described as being a brisk, fragrant and full-bodied tea. The region produces both rolled and crush, tear, curl tea and it is predominantly used for blending. Nilgiri tea is also used for making iced tea and instant tea.
Hatton is a major town in the Nuwara Eliya District of Central Province, Sri Lanka governed by the Hatton-Dickoya Urban Council. Hatton is a major centre of the Sri Lankan tea industry.
Nepali tea is a beverage made from the leaves of tea plants grown in Nepal. They are distinctive in appearance, aroma and taste, but are similar in many ways to tea produced in Darjeeling, perhaps because the eastern zones of Nepal have geography and topography similar to Darjeeling. Its relatively smaller production quantities mean that teas from Nepal are less well known than those from Darjeeling.
Ceylon tea is both the brand of tea which is produced in Sri Lanka and a historic term describing tea from that land. Ceylon tea has been described as not only a geographical descriptor but also a pillar of Sri Lankan culture, heritage, and identity. The Sri Lanka Tea Board is the legal proprietor of the Lion Logo of Ceylon tea. In 2019, Sri Lanka was the fourth largest tea producer and the third largest tea exporter in the world. The Lion Logo has been registered in 98 countries as of 2016. Ceylon tea increasingly faces rising production costs, mainly due to increasing wages, fuel prices, and utility costs.
Darjeeling tea is a tea made from Camellia sinensis var. sinensis that is grown and processed in Darjeeling district or Kalimpong district in West Bengal, India. Since 2004, the term Darjeeling tea has been a registered geographical indication referring to products produced on certain estates within Darjeeling and Kalimpong. The tea leaves are processed as black tea, though some estates have expanded their product offerings to include leaves suitable for making green, white, and oolong teas.
General Ranjan Wijeratne was a Sri Lankan planter and politician. He served in the Premadasa cabinet as Minister of Foreign Affairs and then Minister of Plantation Industries, while holding the office of State Minister for Defence.
Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company PLC, trading as Dilmah, is a Sri Lankan beverage company that is headquartered in Peliyagoda, Western Province, Sri Lanka. While MJF Teas is the parent company of Dilmah, MJF Holdings is the ultimate parent. The company is best known for its brand of Ceylon tea, sold internationally. The company was founded in 1985 by Merrill J Fernando. As of 2023 Dilmah is the 10th largest tea brand in the world.
James Taylor was a Scottish tea planter who introduced the industry of tea farming to British Ceylon. He arrived to British Ceylon in 1852 and settled down in Loolecondera estate in Delthota. Here he worked with Scottish merchant Thomas Lipton to develop the tea industry in British Ceylon. He continued to live in British Ceylon until his death.
The primary form of agriculture in Sri Lanka is rice production. Rice is cultivated during Maha and Yala seasons. Tea is cultivated in the central highlands and is a major source of foreign exchange. Vegetables, fruits and oilseed crops are also cultivated in the country. There are two Agriculture Parks abbreviated as A. Parks established by the Department of Agriculture. Out of the total population in Sri Lanka, 27.1% engages in agricultural activities. Agriculture accounted for 7.4% of the GDP in 2020.
Ceylon was an independent country in the Commonwealth of Nations from 1948 to 1972, that shared a monarch with other dominions of the Commonwealth. In 1948, the British Colony of Ceylon was granted independence as Ceylon. In 1972, the country became a republic within the Commonwealth, and its name was changed to Sri Lanka.
Hayleys PLC, founded in 1878 by Charles Pickering Hayley, is a multinational and diversified conglomerate company in Sri Lanka, publicly listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange with business spanning over 16 sectors, catering to 80 markets worldwide. Hayleys accounts for approximately 5% of Sri Lanka's export income, and 4.6% of the country's tea and 4.1% of its rubber production. With over 35,000 employees, Hayley was also the first listed entity in the country to surpass annual revenue of US$1 billion in Fiscal Year 2017/18. The company operates over 16 business sectors: eco-solutions, hand protection, purification, agriculture, consumer and retail, leisure, textile manufacturing, construction materials, plantations, industrial solutions, power and energy, transportation and logistics, BPO, tea exports, projects and engineering, and investments and services. Hayleys comprises over 180 business units and subsidiaries, twelve of which are publicly listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange. Hayleys PLC is a public listed company with over 15,147 shareholders as of March 31, 2024. In addition to Sri Lanka, Hayleys today has manufacturing facilities in Indonesia,Thailand and India, with marketing operations in Australia, India, Bangladesh, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, UK, USA, France, Poland and Kenya, and its products are sold in 80 countries.
Holmwood Estate is a tea estate in the Agrapatana region in Nuwara Eliya District, Central Province of Sri Lanka. The estate was established by Henry St. George Caulfield in 1878 and was named after Holmwood, a parish in Surrey, England. It comprises two Divisions: Holmwood and Sutton Divisions. Holmwood Division is the major division with a larger population. The Estate has about 392 workers.
Talawakelle is a town in Nuwara Eliya District in the Central Province, Sri Lanka, governed by an Urban Council. It is the centre of the Dimbula tea planting district, the largest tea growing area in Sri Lanka. It is situated on A7 Colombo-Nuwara Eliya highway. The altitude of Talawakelle is 1,198 metres (3,930 ft). Talawakelle railway station is one of the major stops of Udarata or Main railway line. The town is administered by Talawakelle-Lindula urban council.
Lion Brewery or Lion Brewery (Ceylon) PLC is a predominantly Sri Lankan owned and operated brewery. The company is listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange and its stock is part of the S&P Sri Lanka 20 Index. Lion Brewery produces the highest selling beer, Lion Lager, in both Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
George Steuart Group of Companies is Sri Lanka's oldest mercantile establishment, having been established in 1835 during British occupation of Ceylon. It is the oldest surviving mercantile firm in the country, with a recorded history dating back to the early 19th century, and is the first on the register of companies in Sri Lanka
Coffee production in Sri Lanka peaked in 1870, with over 111,400 hectares being cultivated. The Dutch had experimented with coffee cultivation in the 18th century, but it was not successful until the British began large scale commercial production following the Colebrooke–Cameron Commission reforms of 1833. By 1860, the country was amongst the major coffee-producing nations in the world. Although coffee production remains a source of revenue, it is no longer a main economic sector. In 2014, the country ranked 43rd of largest coffee producers in the world.
H Cannappen Velusingham Velupillai was a Ceylonese trade unionist, politician and poet.
Donald Jasen Ranaweera was a Sri Lankan plantation owner, press baron and politician. He was the Chairmen of the Times of Ceylon and served as the member of parliament from Maskeliya (1960) and Nuwara Eliya (1965-1970).
