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Agriculture: In Sri Lanka, tea is worth its weight in gold
Agriculture: In Sri Lanka, tea is worth its weight in gold
(France 2)
A country of a thousand colours, Sri Lanka also produces an exceptional white tea in high-altitude gardens. It is meticulously hand-picked in a heavenly setting. This rare product can sell for up to 1,600 euros per kilo.
Every morning, hundreds of tea pickers walk through the tea plantations at an altitude of 1,600 m. “In this season, I pick about 25 kg of tea per day, up to 40 during the rainy season”explains tea picker Priyani Wiviratnam. The harvested leaves are sent to one of the largest and oldest factories in Sri Lanka. They are stored for six to 12 hours and then chopped and dried in machines, producing a powder that, after fermentation, becomes Ceylon black tea.
Tea supports more than 2 million people across the country. In the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, Ransiri Mendis, a manager at Akbar Brothers, and his teams have to taste almost all the samples sent.
Of all the varieties produced in the country, white tea stands out. It is harvested with golden scissors. “We wear a mask and gloves”explains Dhammika KW, a tea picker. Only 150g of leaves are harvested each day. The tea is sold at 1,600 euros per kg and is enjoyed in cocktail glasses. A 200-year-old culture that has earned Sri Lanka the nickname “the tea island”.