Dr Manoj Thibbotuwawa Highlights Lessons from China for the Sri Lankan Tea Industry

16-20 July, 2025

“Sri Lanka’s estate-driven tea production structure, its reliance on auctions, and the slower uptake of digital and climate-smart innovations present ongoing challenges to the country’s tea industry,” remarked Dr Manoj Thibbotuwawa, a Research Fellow at IPS, in a presentation on diverging approaches to tea production and climate resilience in China and Sri Lanka.

His presentation outlined key differences in Chinese and Sri Lankan production systems, technology adoption levels, and climate resilience approaches, offering valuable comparative insights gained through field observations and stakeholder engagements.

Dr Thibbotuwawa highlighted key contrasts between Zhejiang’s and Sri Lanka’s tea sectors. “Zhejiang’s smallholder-led model is supported by strong cooperatives, modern processing and marketing technologies, and widespread adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices to produce premium green teas like Longjing,” he explained. “Additionally, Zhejiang’s integration of technology, cooperative governance, and sustainable practices presents valuable lessons for transforming Sri Lanka’s traditional tea sector, particularly the smallholder segment, as it faces increasing climate risks and shifting market dynamics.”

Dr Thibbotuwawa shared these insights at the conclusion of a knowledge exchange tour hosted by Prof. Yuehua Zhang, Executive Director of the Common Prosperity Research Center of Regional Development at Zhejiang University, as part of the “Climate Smart Agriculture Investments for Productivity Enhancement” project. This tour was also a testament to the importance of cross border collaboration in building a climate-resilient and market-driven tea industry.