Environmental Sustainability and Risks: Sri Lanka and Tea Production

Team Leader: Thurka Brabaharan

Primary Contributor: Alice Murray

As it is part of the agricultural sector, the tea industry in Sri Lanka is extremely vulnerable to changes and inconsistencies in the environment, physical geography, and weather. Tea crop production is prone to heavy rainfall and environmental disasters, which make up 90% of all natural disasters that occur in the region. These threats include flooding, droughts, landslides and tsunamis.[1] Sri Lanka experiences two main monsoon seasons, running from May to July and from October to January; in addition to this, it experiences two inter-monsoon seasons which bring peak levels of rainfall between March to April and October to November.[2] However, currently, the biggest threat to the Sri Lankan tea industry is the ongoing risk of drought, which is the largest natural risk in the region, ahead of other natural disasters. In 1992, Sri Lanka experienced severe droughts which resulted in the tea crop yield dropping by 29%, from 240 million kilograms to 170 million kilograms, within a year.[3]

On top of this, climate change is expected to damage the tea industry further, despite some positives as a result of increased average rainfall and carbon levels. Extreme dry and wet periods are likely to be the new norm becoming more severe in Sri Lanka, and across the world, implying that droughts will likely increase in damage. Climate change is expecting to bring a rise in temperature, increased rainfall and higher levels of carbon dioxide in Sri Lanka. However, research has shown that increased rates of carbon dioxide will assist in increasing tea yield due to raised levels of assimilation. Further to this, increased average rainfall is also expected to increase the annual yield for tea, unlike other crops grown in the region such as rubber and coconut.[4] Regardless of these positives, the climate change will overall damage the tea industry. Tea yield peaks at temperatures past 22 degrees centigrade and rapidly drop off with increasingly higher temperature.[5] Moreover, the increasing temperature will only accelerate the risk of drought in Sri Lanka, which will continue to bring more severe consequences and cause increased damage to the production of tea and the industry.

Soil erosion and degradation is another threat that is prominent to Sri Lanka. Due to rainfall, mudslides can be caused from soil becoming saturated from the water. This has been increased due to deforestation in the region for growing crops for exports, such as tea. In addition, the agricultural techniques used of growing the same tea repeatedly, known as monocropping, can damage the land. Monocropping reduces the soil quality and will hurt the tea industry down the land. This can be overcome through diversifying crops and techniques used on the soil.[6]

The Sri Lankan government has made an effort over recent years to put money towards drought relief for people in the region. In 2017 President Maithripala did this through granting farmers a monthly allowance of Rs.10,000, in an attempt to combat drought risk.[7] In the past, President Sirisena has also made calls to international bodies such as UN, FAO and the WFP to assist in providing drought aid.[8]

However, past promises by government officials are not a solid guarantee due to the current political state of Sri Lanka, which is facing massive instability due to the recent removal of the Prime Minister, Ranil Wicknemesinghe.[9] His removal has led to votes of no confidence with President Maithripala Sirisena for dissolving parliament and has resulted in walk outs. Despite President Maithripala Sirisena having face two motions of no confidence, his government is attempting to push through with new policies. Firstly, the government is proposing a tax exemption over the next five years to small/medium agricultural-based industries, including tea.[10] In addition to this, the government is proposing switching to more environmentally sustainable solutions such as renewable energy sources including installation of solar panels in processing factors for products such as tea, which will be recognized by companies’ deducible tax cuts if agreed to.

Tea companies currently working in Sri Lanka have attempted reducing soil erosion through measures such as investment into innovative technology, to overcome challenges in the area. For example, Finlay’s has been pursuing innovative environmental solutions such as fertiliser application, optimising machine harvesting and biodiversity management.[11] Alternative methods include supplying fertiliser to improve soil quality, however, fertiliser subsides have been cut by the government. These cuts, along with increasing drought conditions, have resulted in Sri Lanka dropping in rank as global tea producers.[12] In an attempt to combat other weather-related issues, another tea company currently working in Sri Lanka, Dilmah, is working towards compiling a local database of climate change information to forecast weather risks through monitoring.[13]

 

 

[1] The Project For Improving Of Meteorological Observation, Weather Forecasting And Dissemination In Democratic Socialist Republic Of Sri Lanka. 2014. Ebook. Colombo: JICA. https://www.jica.go.jp/srilanka/english/office/topics/c8h0vm000096mu2r-att/150417_01.pdf.

[2] Meyler, Michael. 2012. "Monsoons And Intermonsoons". Groundviews. https://groundviews.org/2012/11/08/monsoons-and-intermonsoons/.

[3] Wijeratne, M. 1996. "Vulnerability Of Sri Lanka Tea Production To Global Climate Change". Springerlink. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2FBF00175555.pdf.

[4] Wijeratne, M.A. 2009. Adaptation To The Threats Of Climate Change: Plantation Sector. Ebook. Ratnapura: IPS Climate. http://www.ips.lk/climatenet/resources/wrok_shop_19_08_2009/wijerathne.pdf.

[5] Wijeratne, M.A. 2009. Adaptation To The Threats Of Climate Change: Plantation Sector. Ebook. Ratnapura: IPS Climate. http://www.ips.lk/climatenet/resources/wrok_shop_19_08_2009/wijerathne.pdf.

[6] Wijeratne, M.A. 2009. Adaptation To The Threats Of Climate Change: Plantation Sector. Ebook. Ratnapura: IPS Climate. http://www.ips.lk/climatenet/resources/wrok_shop_19_08_2009/wijerathne.pdf.

[7] "Drought Affected Farmers Granted Rs.10,000 Allowance: President". 2017. Daily News. http://www.dailynews.lk/2017/02/17/local/107964/drought-affected-farmers-granted-rs10000-allowance-president.

[8] "Drought Relief: President Calls For UN, FAO, WFP Involvement". 2017. Daily News. http://www.dailynews.lk/2017/01/18/local/105002/drought-relief-president-calls-un-fao-wfp-involvement.

[9] "Move To Dissolve Sri Lanka's Parliament". 2018. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-46156303.

[10] "Sri Lanka Says To Halve Agri Taxes, 5-Yr Tax Holiday To Small Firms". 2018. Economynext.Com. https://economynext.com/Sri_Lanka_says_to_halve_agri_taxes,_5_yr_tax_holiday_to_small_firms-3-12710.html.

[11] Finlays. 2017. "Sustainability Report 2017". London: Swire. http://www.finlays.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Sustainability-Report-2017-Single-Pages.pdf.

[12] "Top Tea Producing Countries | 10 World's Largest Tea Producers 2018". 2018. Bizvibe Blog. https://www.bizvibe.com/blog/top-tea-producing-countries/.

[13] "Sustainability Report 2017/18". 2018. Peliyagoda: Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company PLC. https://www.dilmahtea.com/sustainability/pdf/dilmah-sustainability-report-2017-2018.pdf.