July tea...

Earnings from tea exports for the first five months rose 1.6 percent to US $ 599.3 million, compared with the same period last year. Sri Lanka’s tea output rose 5 percent to 307.1 million kg last year, recovering from a seven-year low of 292.6 million kg hit in 2016.

The industry officials expect production to reach 320 million kg this year if the weather holds but a ban on cost-effective weed-killers, disruption of regular agricultural practices and the high cost of fertilisers could affect the outlook for production.

Tea production in 2017 was affected by severe drought followed by flooding and poor application of fertilisers, while a government ban on pesticides and restricted labour added to the sector’s woes.