In short: New Weliganga is a black tea estate in the Central Province of Sri Lanka, operating at 571 metres elevation and recorded as supplying Finlays.
New Weliganga is a tea estate located in Sri Lanka's Central Province, at an elevation of 571 metres. The estate produces black tea and is recorded as supplying Finlays, a significant actor in global tea sourcing and processing. The operating company is not publicly documented.
Terroir & Climate
At 571 metres, New Weliganga sits within the mid-grown category of Ceylon tea estates, above the low-country zone but below the classic high-grown elevations that define much of the Central Province's reputation. Estates at this altitude typically experience a more moderate diurnal temperature range than their high-elevation counterparts, which tends to encourage steadier vegetative growth and a longer annual cropping window.
The Central Province's climate is shaped by both monsoon systems that traverse Sri Lanka, with the inter-monsoonal periods generally offering the most favourable conditions for quality leaf. At mid-grown elevations, the interplay of warmth, moisture and soil drainage tends to produce teas with a balance between the body characteristic of low-country leaf and the briskness associated with higher altitudes.
Tea Produced
Black teas from mid-grown Central Province estates typically yield a cup that balances strength and brightness. The moderate elevation tends to produce leaf with good colour and a medium body, often exhibiting the briskness Ceylon is known for without the more pronounced astringency of high-grown teas. Estates in this zone generally supply versatile grades suited to both blending and single-origin offerings, though specific cup character will vary with season, manufacture and clone.
Supply Chain & Market Position
New Weliganga is recorded as supplying Finlays, a vertically integrated tea business with extensive sourcing, processing and blending operations across multiple origins. Finlays supplies both international brands and retail private-label programmes, indicating that leaf from New Weliganga likely enters commercial blending chains rather than being marketed as a named single estate. This supply relationship positions the estate within the mainstream Ceylon black tea trade, serving buyers who prioritise consistency, volume and compliance over estate provenance.
- Recorded supplier to Finlays
Location & Neighbouring Estates
New Weliganga lies at 7.0986, 80.5575 in Central Province, Sri Lanka. Its 571 m elevation is the 85th highest of 94 estates we map in Central Province. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:
- Pallegama — under 1 km away
- Elpitiya Plantations, Nayapane — 3.5 km away
- Goorookoya — 3.8 km away
- Cooroondoowatte — 4.3 km away
- Kahawatte Plantations, Craighead — 4.4 km away
Estates at a Similar Altitude to New Weliganga
Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match New Weliganga (571 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. New Weliganga recorded 3,032 mm in 2025, 29% more than the 2,351 mm average across these estates: at the same height, local weather and exposure matter as much as elevation.
| Estate | Where | Elevation | Rain 2025 | Mean high |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Finlay (Guizhou) Tea Co.Ltd. | Guizhou province, China | 572 m | 1,604 mm | 22.2 °C |
| Hapugastenne Plantations, Springwood | Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka | 582 m | 2,392 mm | 27.6 °C |
| Ancoombra | Central Province, Sri Lanka | 591 m | 3,329 mm | 27.2 °C |
| Badamtam Tea Estate | Weste Bengal, India | 608 m | 2,753 mm | 27.2 °C |
| ESPERANZA | Mulanje, Malawi | 643 m | 1,677 mm | 26.9 °C |
New Weliganga Compared with Central Province
In Central Province, New Weliganga is drier than 58% of the others by 2025 rainfall; lower than 90% of the others by elevation; warmer than 87% of the others by daytime temperature. The table sets New Weliganga against the 93 other estates we map in Central Province, so you can see whether it is typical for its region or an outlier.
| Measure | New Weliganga | Region median | Region range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 571 m | 1,203 m | 37 to 1,924 m |
| Annual rainfall (2025) | 3,032 mm | 3,152 mm | 2,071 to 4,839 mm |
| Mean daily high | 27.3 °C | 23.1 °C | 19.1 to 30.1 °C |
| Mean overnight low | 19.4 °C | 16.4 °C | 12.4 to 22.2 °C |
Observed Climate at New Weliganga (2025)
ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for New Weliganga’s coordinates recorded 3,032 mm of precipitation across calendar year 2025. The wettest month was November (893 mm) and the driest was February (18 mm). Daytime highs averaged 27.3 °C and overnight lows 19.4 °C over the year; April was the warmest month and November the coolest.
| Metric | 2025 value |
|---|---|
| Annual precipitation | 3,032 mm |
| Wettest month | November (893 mm) |
| Driest month | February (18 mm) |
| Mean daily high | 27.3 °C |
| Mean overnight low | 19.4 °C |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is New Weliganga located?
New Weliganga is in Central Province, Sri Lanka, at coordinates 7.0986, 80.5575, at an elevation of about 571 metres.
What type of tea does New Weliganga produce?
New Weliganga is recorded as producing black tea.
Which buyers does New Weliganga supply?
Public supplier disclosures record New Weliganga as supplying Finlays.
How much rain does New Weliganga receive?
ERA5 reanalysis data for the estate's coordinates recorded 3,032 mm of precipitation in 2025, peaking in November (893 mm).
How does New Weliganga compare with estates at a similar elevation?
New Weliganga recorded 3,032 mm in 2025, 29% more rain than the 2,351 mm average of estates at a similar elevation.
Data sources: public supply-chain disclosures (Ethical Tea Partnership member lists, Rainforest Alliance certificate holders and retailer supplier disclosures); climate figures are ERA5 reanalysis modelled for the estate’s coordinates via Open-Meteo (calendar year 2025); coordinates and elevations from geocoded records. Spotted an error? Email [email protected].