Ceylon tea facts for kids
Lion Logo of pure Ceylon tea
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| Owner | Sri Lanka Tea Board |
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| Introduced | 1867 |
| Markets | Middle East, Russia, China, European Union, United States, Japan |
| Previous owners | Tea Propaganda Board |
| Tagline | Ceylon tea Symbol of quality |
| Website | pureceylontea.com |
Ceylon tea is a special type of tea that comes from Sri Lanka. It's not just a name for tea from that country. It's also a big part of Sri Lanka's culture and history. The Sri Lanka Tea Board owns the official Lion Logo for Ceylon tea.
In 2019, Sri Lanka was one of the world's top tea producers. It was the fourth largest producer and the third largest exporter of tea. The Lion Logo, which shows that the tea is real Ceylon tea, was registered in 98 countries by 2016. Making Ceylon tea has become more expensive over time. This is mainly because wages, fuel, and other costs have gone up.
How Ceylon Tea Is Packaged
For the special Lion Logo to be on a tea package, it must meet four rules. First, the logo can only be on a package for customers. Second, the package must contain 100 percent pure Ceylon tea. Third, the tea must be packed in Sri Lanka itself. Finally, the tea brand must follow the quality rules set by the Sri Lanka Tea Board.
Ceylon tea is known for its carefully controlled production. Selling it in its finished, packaged form helps it earn more money. Some people think that only allowing licensed companies to use the logo helps keep the tea's quality high. This also attracts more customers who want a certified, good quality product.
Ceylon Tea in the Global Market
The market for pure teas, like "pure Ceylon tea," is a smaller, special market. It makes up only about 10 percent of all tea sold worldwide. Data shows that Sri Lanka's share of the tea market has been getting smaller. Meanwhile, Kenyan tea has been growing faster and taking some of Sri Lanka's market share.
More than half of Sri Lanka's tea exports are still in large, plain bulk packages. However, "value-added" teas make up 40 to 45 percent of exports. These include green tea, flavoured tea, organic tea, instant tea, iced tea, and ready-to-drink tea. All these special tea products sell for a higher price than bulk tea.
People around the world are changing how they like their tea. They want more convenient tea products. Even though Sri Lankan tea has a competitive advantage, it's hard for them to use this advantage. This is because they find it difficult to do much international marketing.
Sponsoring Sports Teams
The Sri Lanka Tea Board made an agreement with Sri Lanka Cricket. They started sponsoring the Sri Lanka national cricket team and the Sri Lanka women's national cricket team in June 2013. Ceylon tea continues to be a sponsor for these national teams.
