Fertiliser ban could cut estate worker wages

Tea Small holders Federation President Kehel Gunaratna told the Business Times that they too expect a production drop by around 30 percent by January and that leaf production has dropped by about 10- 15 percent already.

When this happens he noted that they will not be able to make the same payment to their workers as the earnings will also fall.

However, the industry is remaining confident that the government is likely to provide them with some form of fertiliser industry by December following discussions with the Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa recently.

Over the years the tea industry has been facing a number of obstacles in its 150-year journey and most complicating is the concern over the ban on glyphosate in 2015 that was lifted only in July 2018 as a result of which Sri Lanka made significant losses in productivity and weeds overran the plantations.

The Sri Lankan government took a decision to ban the use of chemical fertiliser in May this year.