Tea auction delayed, export factories slowdown
While the Colombo tea auction was delayed by a day this week as a result of the ongoing curfew imposed in the Gampaha district, some factories have temporarily closed.
The auction was delayed by one day but there was no problem in terms of auction trades, Colombo Tea Traders Association Chairman Jayantha Karunaratne told the Business Times.
He noted that the COVID-19 situation that has affected the Gampaha district has resulted in delays in processing of teas for export in this tea hub district.
With most factories that carry out tea processing for export purposes located in Gampaha, it was difficult to bring workers down due to health regulations and fear among workers in moving out and the increased concern of any sick employees.
Though some factories are functioning some others are temporarily not working full time, Mr. Karunaratne said.
In this respect there has been a general slowdown in the production process of blending and packaging for export, he noted.
This week has been the worst since the recent second wave of the coronavirus occurred, it was noted.
Moreover, some estates have also been hit with the pandemic while some estates were bringing down their teas to be processed in a bid to avoid any possible stoppage of transport between districts, Mr. Karunaratne said.