In short: Rasagalla is a black tea estate in the Ratnapura district of Sri Lanka, operated by Stassen Exports and recorded as a supplier to Morrisons.
Rasagalla is a black tea estate located in the Ratnapura district of Sri Lanka, at an elevation of 502 metres. The estate is operated by Stassen Exports, a company with a portfolio of tea-producing properties across the island. Rasagalla is recorded as a supplier to Morrisons, the British supermarket chain.
Terroir & Climate
At 502 metres above sea level, Rasagalla occupies the low-grown zone of Sri Lanka's tea-growing topography. Estates at this elevation in the humid southwest of the island typically experience warm, even temperatures year-round and receive substantial rainfall, particularly during the southwest monsoon from May to September. These conditions generally favour rapid, vegetative growth and high yields, with plucking cycles that tend to be shorter than those at higher altitudes.
The Ratnapura district, historically associated with gem mining, lies within Sri Lanka's wet zone, where annual precipitation often exceeds 2,500 millimetres. Low-grown Ceylon teas from this latitude and elevation typically produce robust, full-bodied leaf with a darker liquor and less pronounced astringency than high-grown types. The consistent warmth and moisture tend to support continuous cropping, though estates in this region often contend with greater disease pressure and vigorous weed growth.
Tea Produced
Rasagalla produces black tea. Low-grown Sri Lankan blacks from estates at similar elevations in the Ratnapura region typically yield a strong, malty cup with good body and colour. The liquor tends to be darker and more robust than high-grown Ceylon, with less floral complexity but greater weight and a straightforward, brisk character. These teas are generally well-suited to blending and to applications where strength and colour are priorities, such as breakfast blends and bagged tea for retail.
Supply Chain & Market Position
Rasagalla is recorded as supplying Morrisons, one of the United Kingdom's major supermarket chains. This supply relationship indicates that the estate's output meets the volume, consistency, and food-safety standards required by large-scale British retail. Supermarket supply chains for black tea typically demand reliable year-round availability and competitive pricing, with low-grown Sri Lankan teas frequently used in own-label blends where body and colour are valued over the nuanced character of high-elevation leaf.
- Recorded supplier to Morrisons
Operator
Stassen Exports operates Rasagalla and is recorded as managing four other tea estates in our directory. The company is an established player in Sri Lanka's export sector, with interests spanning tea production, value-added processing, and global distribution. Multi-estate operators such as Stassen benefit from economies of scale in procurement, logistics, and quality assurance, and typically maintain diversified portfolios across different growing regions and elevations to spread agronomic and market risk.
Location & Neighbouring Estates
Rasagalla lies at 6.6669, 80.7048 in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka. Its 502 m elevation is the joint 177th highest of 429 estates we map in Sri Lanka. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:
- Walaboda — under 1 km away
- Balangoda Tea Shakthi — 1.5 km away · Sabaragamuwa Province
- Boscombe — 2.9 km away · Sabaragamuwa Province
- Kadigalahena — 3.2 km away · Sabaragamuwa Province
- Balangoda Plantations, Maratenne — 3.2 km away · Sabaragamuwa Province
Estates at a Similar Altitude to Rasagalla
Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match Rasagalla (502 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. Rasagalla recorded 2,664 mm in 2025, 17% more than the 2,270 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richiland | Southern Province, Sri Lanka | 507 m | 3,484 mm | 26.9 °C |
| Embilmeegama | Central Province, Sri Lanka | 510 m | 2,534 mm | 28.8 °C |
| J Llorente Y Cias A | Misiones, Argentina | 482 m | 1,810 mm | 25.7 °C |
| Ariel | Route 14 / Km 962 / Dos de Mayo () Misiones, Argentina | 479 m | 1,831 mm | 25.3 °C |
| Tianhua Luoping Tea Industry Co., Ltd. | China, China | 478 m | 1,689 mm | 22.3 °C |
Rasagalla Compared with Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, Rasagalla is drier than 72% of the others by 2025 rainfall; higher than 58% of the others by elevation; cooler than 64% of the others by daytime temperature. The table sets Rasagalla against the 428 other estates we map in Sri Lanka, so you can see whether it is typical for its country or an outlier.
| Measure | Rasagalla | Country median | Country range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 502 m | 298 m | 6 to 1,962 m |
| Annual rainfall (2025) | 2,664 mm | 3,051 mm | 2,018 to 4,839 mm |
| Mean daily high | 27.5 °C | 28.8 °C | 18.9 to 31.3 °C |
| Mean overnight low | 20.6 °C | 21.7 °C | 12.4 to 24.3 °C |
Observed Climate at Rasagalla (2025)
ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for Rasagalla’s coordinates recorded 2,664 mm of precipitation across calendar year 2025. The wettest month was November (629 mm) and the driest was February (44 mm). Daytime highs averaged 27.5 °C and overnight lows 20.6 °C over the year; July was the warmest month and January the coolest.
| Metric | 2025 value |
|---|---|
| Annual precipitation | 2,664 mm |
| Wettest month | November (629 mm) |
| Driest month | February (44 mm) |
| Mean daily high | 27.5 °C |
| Mean overnight low | 20.6 °C |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Rasagalla located?
Rasagalla is in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka, at coordinates 6.6669, 80.7048, at an elevation of about 502 metres.
Who operates Rasagalla?
Rasagalla is operated by Stassen Exports, according to public supply-chain records.
What type of tea does Rasagalla produce?
Rasagalla is recorded as producing black tea.
Which buyers does Rasagalla supply?
Public supplier disclosures record Rasagalla as supplying Morrisons.
How much rain does Rasagalla receive?
ERA5 reanalysis data for the estate's coordinates recorded 2,664 mm of precipitation in 2025, peaking in November (629 mm).
How does Rasagalla compare with estates at a similar elevation?
Rasagalla recorded 2,664 mm in 2025, 17% more rain than the 2,270 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].