The Colombo Tea Traders' Association (CTTA) closed its 132nd Annual General Meeting, held on July 17 in Colombo, with a clear message about the road ahead for the Ceylon Tea industry. Lushantha de Silva was unanimously re-elected Chairman for a second consecutive term, alongside Mansoor Akbarally as Vice Chairman representing buyers and Senaka Alawattegama as Vice Chairman representing sellers.
In his address, de Silva stressed that Ceylon Tea needs to lean further into value addition, premium branding, innovation, and product diversification to maximize earnings from every kilogram exported, rather than staying dependent on low-margin bulk exports.
The message reflects a global shift Premium Tea already embraces: consumers increasingly value black tea with a clear origin story and verified quality over undifferentiated commodity tea — exactly the profile of the Ceylon teas selected for our range.
Source: Daily FT