BLACK TEA - SOME FACTS OF PAST AND PRESENT

Ceylon Black tea has been the most popular among all teas produced in the world for over a century.

In Black tea processing, the plucked leaves are withered to reduce the moisture content approximately by 50%. The leaves are then rolled by mechanical Tea Rollers to macerate and break them into parts. This process of breaking up the leaves starts a series of chemical reactions that a catalyzed by the enzymes in the leaf.

Tea is a very hardy plant and can be grown in many parts of the world, where the climate is wet and warm with a minimum rainfall of 60” per annum, provided it is evenly distributed through the year.

However, the best climate for Black Tea growing on a commercial basis economically is the one which is hot and moist where the temperature in the shade does not exceed 95 degrees Fahrenheit and does not fall below 55 degrees F and where an evenly distributed annual rainfall is between 100 and 130 inches. Long period of drought is not conducive to tea.

Due to the island’s proximity to the Equator, the mean temperature of Sri Lanka’s Tea growing areas varies from approximately 60 to 80 degrees F. Although in Sri Lanka there are no well marked seasons, there are periodic changes in the climate influenced by the Monsoon winds.

Perhaps, due to recent global warming phenomenon, the entire country is experiencing longer periods of rain or sometimes prolonged drought. However, this has not seriously affected the country’s tea production.

Some facts on Ceylon Black Tea:

• More than 80% of the tea plantations were owned by British Companies since 1867 until they were ‘nationalized’ by the government of Sri Lanka under a Land Reform Act in 1971.

• Under the first Land Reform Commission Act, the government took over all ‘Sterling’ registered tea estates started by the British a century ago.

• With another sweeping move, all other estates under ‘Rupee Companies’ were also nationalized by the then Socialist Government, leaving most of the tea plantations in the hands of the State. Two major Statutory Boards, namely State Plantations Corporation and Janatha Estates Development Board, commenced total administrative control of most tea estates.

After most of the plantations were taken over by the state, an important event took place in 1977. Sri Lanka was having its General Elections after seven years of a Socialist Government. One of the candidates who contested the Tea growing Nuwara Eliya-Maskeliya electorate from the ruling party, made an election promise that he would distribute ‘free lands’ to all people of the majority community if his party came back to power.

The lands would come out from high-yielding tea plantations and this prompted a large number of Estate workers whose lifeblood depended on the tea industry too applying for those land plots, which were of course not the intention of the politician.

Subsequent events led to a general strike by Estate workers against any distribution of tea lands. The two-week strike saw not a single tea leaf being plucked making a huge impact on the country’s economy. The strike was successful with the authorities announcing no tea lands would be distributed.

However, the strike ended with a tragic note when an estate worker among protesters against a land-survey conducted at Talawakelle was shot dead.

In the 1977 General Elections, right wing United National Party made a landslide victory with an Open Market Policy which once again changed the fate of Plantations as well as its geography.

• The plantations have since been privatized and are now run by plantation companies, which own a few estates each.

• The Tea sector in Sri Lanka has always been a most vital component of her economy and also the island’s largest employer providing employment directly or indirectly to over a million people.

• Globally, Sri Lanka is the third biggest Black tea producing country, sharing 9% of the international tea production.

• Tea is produced throughout the year in Sri Lanka. The growing areas are – High Grown in elevations from 1200 meters upward, Medium Grown covering between 600 to 1200 m and Low Grown from sea level up to 600 m.

• High Grown teas are reputed for their aroma, quality and taste. That is why teas from Dimbula and Nuwara Eliya areas are much sought after by blenders in Tea Importing countries.

• The Eastern Highlands of Sri Lanka called the Uva region produces teas of unique seasonal characters. They are widely used in blends particularly in Germany and Japan.

• The Medium Grown teas with their thick, colory appearance are popular in Australia, Europe, Japan and North America.

• Low Grown teas are popular in West Asia, Middle East and Eastern Europe. These teas are of leafy grade, where tea leaves are well twisted and can grade into long particles.

For more details on Ceylon Tea manufacture, visit webpage titled Tea Process on the Home page.

BLACK TEA PAST AND PRESENT - back to TEA TYPES