The Planters' Association of Ceylon, one of the tea world's oldest industry bodies, has new leadership. At its 172nd annual general meeting in Colombo on 19 September, Malwatte Valley Plantations CEO Shanaka Samaradiwakara was named chairman, with Binesh Pananwala of Kahawatte Plantations as deputy.
His inaugural address laid out a five-point agenda: value addition and defending premium export markets; research into scientifically validated pest-control alternatives; better land use and productivity; faster approvals for irrigation; and secure long-term land tenure, which he argued is essential to unlock financing for replanting. He noted that more than half of Sri Lanka's 2025 tea exports were already value-added products.
The Central Bank governor and the chairman of the Sri Lanka Tea Board attended as guests. For black tea drinkers, the direction is welcome: major origins are increasingly betting on quality rather than sheer volume.
Source: Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)