Brewing up a better future for Sri Lankan tea farmers

IFAD News

So when Sudath Sisirakumara heard about a new planting method, he was keen to roll it out in his tea farm in the green hills outside of Galle, in the south of the island. 

CO3 grass quickly rehabilitates soil, slashing the time it takes to condition it to just one year while reducing the need for fertilizer. 

Through the IFAD-supported STaRR project, Sudath soon began to see results. 

On the boundaries of their tea plantation, Deepa Priyangani Perera and Sarath Pemasiri Jayasingha grow 120 cinnamon plants, earning them Rs 2,000 (US$ 24) per kilo, with little added cost.

By not relying on a single crop, Deepa and Sarath made it through periods of scarce supplies of fertilizer, as well as erratic weather and intrusive local wildlife.

This resilience is helping them build a better life for themselves and their children.

Shanthi Latha’s tea garden buzzes with bees that move from bush to bush, collecting pollen. Seeing a natural opportunity to supplement the income she earns from tea, Shanthi decided to become a beekeeper. 

“I had no prior knowledge of it and hadn’t a taste for honey,” she admits.

After completing a beekeeping course with STaRR, Shanthi now has 20 beehives, earning an extra Rs 45,000 (about US$ 550) each month. 

With the profits, she hopes to one day branch out into another new venture: tourism.

“Locals and foreigners can come and experience nature and the wonder that is Sri Lanka’s natural habitat.”

When Padma Nandani looks out at her tea nurseries, she sees her daughter’s future. She is saving up to build a house for her family and to fund her five-year-old daughter's education.

Yet just a short while ago, saving anything was nearly unimaginable. Padma’s husband is a casual labourer, while she cultivated tea on a tiny plot. Together, they barely earned enough to keep the family afloat.

But with support from STaRR, Padma set up a commercial tea nursery where she grows about 30,000 plants.

Padma’s monthly income has doubled and for the first time, she says, she can live a happy and freeing life, and invest in the future.

See https://www.ifad.org/en/web/latest/w/brewing-up-a-better-future-for-sri-lankan-tea-farmers