Concordia Tea Estate

Concordia Tea Estate is a black tea producer situated at 1,962 metres above sea level in the Kandapola region of Sri Lanka's Central Highlands. The estate is operated by Finlays Tea Estates Lanka Pvt. Ltd. and is recorded as supplying Finlays, the multinational tea and beverage company.

Terroir & Climate

At 1,962 metres, Concordia operates in the upper reaches of Sri Lanka's high-grown tea districts, where estates typically experience cooler temperatures, greater diurnal variation, and higher precipitation than lower-elevation counterparts. Kandapola lies in the island's central hill country, a zone where altitude and cloud cover tend to slow vegetative growth and concentrate biochemical complexity in the leaf. Estates at this elevation generally produce smaller, denser flushes throughout the year, though seasonal monsoon patterns often shape the quality windows.

The terroir of high-elevation Sri Lankan estates is generally characterised by acidic, well-drained soils derived from weathered gneiss and metamorphic rock, conditions that tend to stress the tea plant in ways that favour secondary metabolite production. The cooler ambient temperatures and persistent mist typical of Kandapola's altitude usually moderate the pace of photosynthesis, allowing polyphenol and amino acid concentrations to build before plucking. These environmental stresses, combined with the region's equatorial latitude, often contribute to the refined character for which Sri Lankan high-growns are recognised.

Tea Produced

Concordia produces black tea, the dominant output of Sri Lankan estates at this elevation. High-grown Ceylon blacks from the Kandapola zone typically offer bright, brisk liquor with pronounced astringency and aromatic lift, often described in terms of citrus peel, stone fruit, or floral notes. Estates at similar altitudes generally yield teas with fine, wiry leaf grades and a cup profile that balances body with clarity, qualities prized in blending and in single-estate offerings marketed for their elegance and clean finish.

Supply Chain & Market Position

Concordia is recorded as supplying Finlays, its operator and one of the world's leading vertically integrated tea businesses. This relationship places the estate within a controlled supply chain that extends from cultivation through to blending, packing, and distribution for retail and foodservice clients globally. As an internal supplier to Finlays, Concordia's output is likely allocated to the company's own blending programmes and private-label contracts, rather than being sold on the open auction. This arrangement reflects the broader trend toward vertical integration in the Sri Lankan tea sector, where plantation companies increasingly manage both production and downstream processing to serve multinational buyers and brand owners.

• Recorded supplier to  Finlays

Operator

Finlays Tea Estates Lanka Pvt. Ltd. is the Sri Lankan plantation arm of Finlays, a global supplier of tea, coffee, and botanicals with operations across East Africa and South Asia. The company manages multiple estates in Sri Lanka's high-grown districts, and Concordia is one of three estates operated by Finlays Tea Estates Lanka that are listed in this directory. Finlays' vertically integrated model encompasses estate management, processing, blending, and distribution, positioning the company as both a grower and a major intermediary in the international tea supply chain.

Certifications & Ethics

Concordia Tea Estate holds certification from the Ethical Tea Partnership, a multi-stakeholder initiative that promotes improvements in social, environmental, and economic conditions on tea estates. ETP certification involves independent monitoring of labour standards, health and safety provision, and environmental stewardship, offering buyers assurance that production meets baseline ethical criteria. For workers, the programme is intended to support better working conditions, access to grievance mechanisms, and capacity-building for estate management in areas such as pesticide management and water conservation.

Location & Neighbouring Estates

Concordia Tea Estate lies at 6.9895, 80.8346 in Kandapola, Sri Lanka. Its 1962 m elevation is the highest of 421 estates we map in Sri Lanka. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:

• Udapussellawa Plantations, Court Lodge — 3.1 km away · Central Province
• Maturata Plantations, Ragalla Group — 3.5 km away · Nuwara Eliya District
• Pedro estate — 4.8 km away · Nuwara Eliya
• Luckyland Tea Estate — 6.1 km away · Nuwara Eliya-Uda Pussellawa Rd
• High Forest Tea Estate — 6.6 km away · Dudley Senanayake Mawatha

Estates at a Similar Altitude to Concordia Tea Estate

Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match Concordia Tea Estate (1,962 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. Concordia Tea Estate recorded 2,796 mm in 2025, 95% more than the 1,431 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
Glendale Estate	Coonoor, India	1,961 m	1,459 mm	19.7 °C
GATUNGURU	Mathioya, Kenya	1,961 m	1,518 mm	20.9 °C
KIBWELE	Iringa, Tanzania United Republic Of	1,963 m	1,215 mm	19.4 °C
Shagasha Tea Factory	Gisuma, Rwanda	1,964 m	1,875 mm	21.2 °C
Kymulot Factory	Bomet - Tenwek - Silibwet Rd, Kenya	1,967 m	1,088 mm	23.3 °C

Concordia Tea Estate Compared with Sri Lanka

In Sri Lanka, Concordia Tea Estate is drier than 62% of the others by 2025 rainfall; the highest of the 421 estates by elevation; the coolest of the 421 estates by daytime temperature. The table sets Concordia Tea Estate against the 420 other estates we map in Sri Lanka, so you can see whether it is typical for its country or an outlier.

Measure	Concordia Tea Estate	Country median	Country range
Elevation	1,962 m	290 m	6 to 1,924 m
Annual rainfall (2025)	2,796 mm	3,080 mm	2,018 to 4,839 mm
Mean daily high	18.9 °C	28.8 °C	19.1 to 31.3 °C
Mean overnight low	12.5 °C	21.8 °C	12.4 to 24.3 °C

Observed Climate at Concordia Tea Estate (2025)

ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for Concordia Tea Estate’s coordinates recorded 2,796 mm of precipitation across calendar year 2025. The wettest month was November (809 mm) and the driest was February (57 mm). Daytime highs averaged 18.9 °C and overnight lows 12.5 °C over the year; May was the warmest month and January the coolest.

Metric	2025 value
Annual precipitation	2,796 mm
Wettest month	November (809 mm)
Driest month	February (57 mm)
Mean daily high	18.9 °C
Mean overnight low	12.5 °C

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Concordia Tea Estate located?

Concordia Tea Estate is in Kandapola, Sri Lanka, at coordinates 6.9895, 80.8346, at an elevation of about 1962 metres.

Who operates Concordia Tea Estate?

Concordia Tea Estate is operated by Finlays Tea Estates Lanka Pvt. Ltd., according to public supply-chain records.

What type of tea does Concordia Tea Estate produce?

Concordia Tea Estate is recorded as producing black tea.

Which buyers does Concordia Tea Estate supply?

Public supplier disclosures record Concordia Tea Estate as supplying Finlays.

What certifications does Concordia Tea Estate hold?

Concordia Tea Estate is recorded as holding the following certification(s): Ethical Tea Partnership.

How much rain does Concordia Tea Estate receive?

ERA5 reanalysis data for the estate's coordinates recorded 2,796 mm of precipitation in 2025, peaking in November (809 mm).

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].