- Certification process to begin in 2027 under 5-year action plan
- All formalities completed, says SLTB Chairman
The Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB) is set to introduce Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification for the local tea industry from 2027 as part of its five-year action plan.
Speaking to The Sunday Morning Business, SLTB Chairman Rajpal Obeyesekere said that the board had commenced the process to introduce GAP and GMP certification for the local tea industry, adding that it expected to commence the certification process by next year.
“All the formalities have been completed, and we hope to get the certification process started by next year,” he said.
He said that the introduction of the certification process was part of the SLTB’s five-year action plan.
Obeyesekere added that under the five-year action plan, the board had also commenced the Ceylon Tea Village project, with the GAP and GMP certification process to be implemented alongside the project.
He said that GAP and GMP certification would prove beneficial in helping Ceylon Tea fetch a premium price in the world market, as the market would view it as a product with better manufacturing practices.
The Ceylon Tea Village project, which aims to establish 500 tea villages across the country, was launched islandwide on 15 July with the objective of strengthening the economic wellbeing of smallholder tea farmers, enhancing their income levels, and promoting the sustainable development of Sri Lanka’s tea industry.
As part of the Government’s long-term strategy to further strengthen the tea sector, Sri Lanka aims to increase its annual tea production to 400 million kg by 2030, compared to the current production level of approximately 264 million kg.
The Government also expects to increase tea export earnings from the $ 1.5 billion recorded last year to $ 2.5 billion by 2030.
The contribution of smallholder tea farmers is crucial to achieving the Government’s targets, as they account for approximately 75% of the country’s total tea production.
The SLTB’s five-year strategic plan was introduced for the purpose of involving all relevant stakeholders in order to increase tea export revenue to $ 2.5 billion by 2030.