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by P. Rajaratnam in Nuwara Eliya

A senior planter Phan Dias who belongs to the colonial era and who is yet in good spirits says that this was the time for the tea trade to make good profits but 'Alas' it was not so. The itnerest on bank loans, high management charges, the brokerage bunglings and other impediments, the producer at the estate level was not making the desired profits. This was the main cause for lack of further developments of this important industry in the country.

He is of the opinion that the worst factor was that the once glorious name 'Ceylon Tea' is not being recognised all over the tea drinking world as in the past due to the fact that the tea exporters are getting low quality teas, in comparison to the other tea producing countries.

Mr. Dias says with the ongoing power cuts, a number of estates are finding it difficult in relation to the manufacturing process of teas, particularly those estates which do not have high powered generators.

At the moment, the quality season of high grown tea is on and such quality teas have to be made during night under cooling conditions.

He said years ago almost every estate in the Nuwara Eliya district had its own Turbines and Paltans and the manufacturing went on without any disturbances. With the introduction of electricity, unfortunately, the majority of estates dismantled these turbines and paltans and sold them to the 'Nadars' as scrap. However, those who did not dismantle them and kept them for posterity have not put them under operation. Mr. Dias is also the Secretary of one time Association of Ex-Planters of Ceylon. 

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