Tea cultivation could face a crisis if adequate rainfall is not received between January and March next year (2027) due to the effects of El Niño, the Tea Research Institute (TRI) has warned.The TRI disclosed this information at the 35th National Monsoon Forum – 2026, recently held by the Department of Meteorology at the Disaster Management Centre (DMC).The TRI said there was a need to introduce a program to obtain water for tea cultivation from small reservoirs and anicuts in preparation for El Niño conditions.

It said tea cultivation in Sri Lanka had suffered severe damage due to the El Niño conditions that prevailed in 1983.The next major impact on tea production occurred in 1992, when a severe drought reduced tea production by around 25%, according to the TRI. However, the TRI noted that the El Niño conditions experienced that year were not particularly strong.It added that subsequent El Niño events had not caused any serious impact on tea cultivation.The institute said it had already issued an advisory to tea growers on the measures to be taken if dry weather conditions prevail from January to March next year.As tea is a rain-fed cultivation  , the institute stressed the need to manage available water resources