Ihala Panapitiya

Ihala Panapitiya is a tea estate located in Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka, at an elevation of 48 metres above sea level. The estate produces black tea and is recorded as supplying Finlays, one of the world's major tea and beverage companies. The operator of the estate is not currently documented in trade records.

Terroir & Climate

At 48 metres above sea level, Ihala Panapitiya sits firmly in Sri Lanka's low-grown tea zone, where estates typically experience warm, humid conditions year-round. This latitude, close to 7°N, places the estate in a consistently tropical climate with minimal seasonal temperature variation. Low-elevation estates in this band generally see faster leaf growth and shorter intervals between plucking rounds than their high-grown counterparts, driven by sustained warmth and moisture.

Sabaragamuwa Province, straddling the wet and intermediate zones of Sri Lanka's south-west, tends to receive reliable precipitation, though the specific microclimate at any given estate can vary with proximity to watercourses and local topography. Estates at this elevation often produce robust, full-bodied leaf that develops quickly on the bush, yielding teas with pronounced strength and colour in the cup—a profile well-suited to blending and to markets that prize body and briskness over floral complexity.

Tea Produced

Ihala Panapitiya produces black tea. Low-grown Sri Lankan estates at similar elevations typically yield teas characterised by strength, body and a brisk astringency, with less aromatic complexity than high-grown leaf. The warm growing conditions at 48 metres generally encourage vigorous growth and a robust cup profile, often displaying malty or earthy notes and good colour. Such teas are frequently valued for blending, where their body and consistency provide a dependable base.

Supply Chain & Market Position

Ihala Panapitiya is recorded as supplying Finlays, a vertically integrated business with tea estates, processing facilities and blending operations across multiple origins. Finlays sources from numerous estates worldwide to meet the requirements of retail brands, foodservice clients and its own branded portfolios. The estate's presence in Finlays' supply chain suggests its output meets the volume, consistency and quality benchmarks expected by a large-scale buyer serving international markets, particularly those where robust, blendable black tea is in demand.

• Recorded supplier to  Finlays

Location & Neighbouring Estates

Ihala Panapitiya lies at 7.0852, 80.3054 in Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka. Its 48 m elevation is the joint 67th highest of 75 estates we map in Sabaragamuwa Province. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:

• Kegalle Plantations, Yataderiya — 7.6 km away
• Kithulgala — 12 km away
• Misa, Garden Leaf — 13 km away
• Kegalle Plantations, Dotel Oya — 14 km away
• Pussellawa Plantations, Pambegama — 14 km away

Estates at a Similar Altitude to Ihala Panapitiya

Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match Ihala Panapitiya (48 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. Ihala Panapitiya recorded 4,005 mm in 2025, 43% more than the 2,794 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
Galahitiya	Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka	48 m	4,348 mm	30.0 °C
KDU, Peak Paradise	Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka	48 m	4,458 mm	30.1 °C
Hunan Tea Group Co., Ltd. - final packing and refining processing	Changsha, China	47 m	1,348 mm	24.8 °C
Owaggachara Tea Estate Factory	Rangamati, Bangladesh	46 m	2,525 mm	30.0 °C
Yame Tea Kumaen	Tokyo, Japan	50 m	1,293 mm	21.1 °C

Ihala Panapitiya Compared with Sabaragamuwa Province

In Sabaragamuwa Province, Ihala Panapitiya is wetter than 77% of the others by 2025 rainfall; lower than 92% of the others by elevation; warmer than 70% of the others by daytime temperature. The table sets Ihala Panapitiya against the 74 other estates we map in Sabaragamuwa Province, so you can see whether it is typical for its region or an outlier.

Measure	Ihala Panapitiya	Region median	Region range
Elevation	48 m	167 m	26 to 1,355 m
Annual rainfall (2025)	4,005 mm	3,390 mm	2,018 to 4,839 mm
Mean daily high	29.9 °C	29.5 °C	21.5 to 30.9 °C
Mean overnight low	21.8 °C	21.9 °C	15.7 to 23.0 °C

Observed Climate at Ihala Panapitiya (2025)

ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for Ihala Panapitiya’s coordinates recorded 4,005 mm of precipitation across calendar year 2025. The wettest month was November (782 mm) and the driest was February (60 mm). Daytime highs averaged 29.9 °C and overnight lows 21.8 °C over the year; April was the warmest month and November the coolest.

Metric	2025 value
Annual precipitation	4,005 mm
Wettest month	November (782 mm)
Driest month	February (60 mm)
Mean daily high	29.9 °C
Mean overnight low	21.8 °C

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Ihala Panapitiya located?

Ihala Panapitiya is in Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka, at coordinates 7.0852, 80.3054, at an elevation of about 48 metres.

What type of tea does Ihala Panapitiya produce?

Ihala Panapitiya is recorded as producing black tea.

Which buyers does Ihala Panapitiya supply?

Public supplier disclosures record Ihala Panapitiya as supplying Finlays.

How much rain does Ihala Panapitiya receive?

ERA5 reanalysis data for the estate's coordinates recorded 4,005 mm of precipitation in 2025, peaking in November (782 mm).

How does Ihala Panapitiya compare with estates at a similar elevation?

Ihala Panapitiya recorded 4,005 mm in 2025, 43% more rain than the 2,794 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].