Malwatte Valley Plantations CEO Shanaka Samaradiwakara was appointed Chairman of the Planters' Association and outlined a five-point plan to revive plantations focusing on value addition, R&D, land-use, irrigation and tenure security. Kahawatte Plantations CEO Binesh Pananwala was named Deputy Chairman.
Lanka Coffee Association elected Tharanga Muramudali as its new Chairperson at its 4th AGM; the event and the Sri Lanka Coffee Festival attracted over 1,000 visitors and showcased more than 30 companies.
Ada Derana·Nov 10, 2025·Administrative routinePositive
The Lanka Coffee Association held its 4th AGM and elected Tharanga Muramudali as Chair; the LCA also ran the Sri Lanka Coffee Festival (1,000+ visitors), held quality training for producers, and launched a commemorative 200th‑year coffee stamp to boost exports and industry standards.
Exporters
Ada Derana·Oct 15, 2025·Award or certificationPositive
Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company Plc was invited to be Patron of the UN Global Compact Network Sri Lanka’s Water & Ocean Stewardship Working Group and reported a 2024/25 direct water footprint of 19,498 m3 (DCTC) with municipal water use down 8% and wastewater discharged down 44% year‑on‑year.
Tea & Plantation CropsConsumer Staples (FMCG)
Ada Derana·Oct 14, 2025·Regulatory or legalNegative
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake held a special discussion with plantation company representatives on the proposed increase to estate workers' daily wages to align with recent public/private sector salary hikes and discussed implementation; the government pledged support for developing the plantation sector.
President Anura Kumara Disanayake urged plantation companies to raise estate workers' daily wages and said the government will support the industry to implement the increase. Representatives from major planters, including Kahawatte, Malwatte, Kelani Valley, Balangoda, Browns, Kegalle and Kotagala, took part.
Darshana Gunasekera has been appointed an Independent, Non-Executive Director of Bank of Ceylon effective 13 August 2025. He is currently Group Finance Director of the MJF Group and serves on the boards of Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company, Kahawatte Plantations and Talawakelle Tea Estates.
Multiple plantation companies (Agarapatana, Elpitiya, Talawakelle, Hatton, Watawala, Kegalle, Kelani Valley, Maskeliya, Namunukula, Kahawatte and Balangoda) are running scholarship programs supporting hundreds of students; Elpitiya alone funds 100 university and 80 A/L students at a cost exceeding LKR 12.4m.
Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company PLC celebrated its 40th anniversary with a 'Future of Tea' event at Sydney Opera House on 19 June 2025. The event showcased Dilmah's 85 Reserve and Watte Single Garden Teas and highlighted tea's health and gastronomy benefits; the author also chairs Kahawatte Plantations PLC.