Millavitiya

Millavitiya is a tea estate located in Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka, at an elevation of 96 metres above sea level. The estate produces black tea and is recorded as supplying Finlays, one of the major participants in the global tea supply chain. The operator of the estate is not publicly documented in available trade records.

Terroir & Climate

At 96 metres elevation and positioned at approximately 6.7°N latitude, Millavitiya occupies Sri Lanka's low-grown tea zone, where estates typically experience warmer temperatures and more rapid leaf growth than their counterparts in the mid- and high-elevation districts. This altitude range generally produces teas with a different chemical profile than the island's celebrated highland gardens, and the growing cycle tends to be less constrained by cool nights or seasonal dormancy.

Sabaragamuwa Province's low-elevation estates often contend with the humid, tropical conditions characteristic of Sri Lanka's wet zone, where rainfall can be abundant and the temperature variation between day and night relatively modest. These environmental factors tend to encourage vigorous vegetative growth and faster maturation of the leaf, shaping both the agronomic rhythm of the estate and the raw material available for manufacture.

Tea Produced

Low-grown black teas from Sri Lanka typically yield a cup that is full-bodied, brisk, and assertive in character, with the rapid leaf growth at warmer elevations often translating to teas valued more for strength and colour than for the delicate aromatics associated with high-altitude production. Estates at this elevation tend to produce material well-suited to blending applications where body, astringency, and consistency are prioritised, though cup quality can vary considerably depending on manufacturing protocols and the timing of the pluck.

Supply Chain & Market Position

Millavitiya is recorded as supplying Finlays, a vertically integrated tea business with plantation, processing, blending, and distribution operations spanning multiple origins. The presence of Finlays as a buyer suggests the estate's output enters a commercial supply chain that serves both branded tea packers and foodservice clients in Europe, North America, and other major consuming markets. This relationship positions Millavitiya within the mainstream of Sri Lankan black tea exports, where low-grown production is often channelled toward blends requiring dependable strength and cost efficiency rather than single-estate retail positioning.

• Recorded supplier to  Finlays

Location & Neighbouring Estates

Millavitiya lies at 6.6801, 80.3410 in Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka. Its 96 m elevation is the 56th highest of 75 estates we map in Sabaragamuwa Province. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:

• Agalawatte Plantations, Delgoda — 2.2 km away
• Agalawatte Plantations, Doloswella — 3.9 km away
• Deraniyagala Tea Shakthi — 3.9 km away
• Hapugastenne Plantations, Hapugastenne — 3.9 km away
• Falcon — 4.3 km away

Estates at a Similar Altitude to Millavitiya

Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match Millavitiya (96 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. Millavitiya recorded 3,412 mm in 2025, 31% more than the 2,610 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
Numalighur Tea Estate	Assam, India	96 m	2,552 mm	28.3 °C
Cape Rooibos	Western Cape, South Africa	96 m	387 mm	26.5 °C
HAJUA	Assam, India	97 m	3,092 mm	28.8 °C
Andaradeniya Estate, Batuwangala	Southern Province, Sri Lanka	97 m	3,510 mm	29.2 °C
Subhagya	Southern Province, Sri Lanka	97 m	3,509 mm	29.7 °C

Millavitiya Compared with Sabaragamuwa Province

In Sabaragamuwa Province, Millavitiya is wetter than 50% of the others by 2025 rainfall; lower than 74% of the others by elevation; warmer than 78% of the others by daytime temperature. The table sets Millavitiya 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	Millavitiya	Region median	Region range
Elevation	96 m	167 m	26 to 1,355 m
Annual rainfall (2025)	3,412 mm	3,390 mm	2,018 to 4,839 mm
Mean daily high	30.1 °C	29.5 °C	21.5 to 30.9 °C
Mean overnight low	22.2 °C	21.9 °C	15.7 to 23.0 °C

Observed Climate at Millavitiya (2025)

ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for Millavitiya’s coordinates recorded 3,412 mm of precipitation across calendar year 2025. The wettest month was November (570 mm) and the driest was February (57 mm). Daytime highs averaged 30.1 °C and overnight lows 22.2 °C over the year; March was the warmest month and January the coolest.

Metric	2025 value
Annual precipitation	3,412 mm
Wettest month	November (570 mm)
Driest month	February (57 mm)
Mean daily high	30.1 °C
Mean overnight low	22.2 °C

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Millavitiya located?

Millavitiya is in Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka, at coordinates 6.6801, 80.3410, at an elevation of about 96 metres.

What type of tea does Millavitiya produce?

Millavitiya is recorded as producing black tea.

Which buyers does Millavitiya supply?

Public supplier disclosures record Millavitiya as supplying Finlays.

How much rain does Millavitiya receive?

ERA5 reanalysis data for the estate's coordinates recorded 3,412 mm of precipitation in 2025, peaking in November (570 mm).

How does Millavitiya compare with estates at a similar elevation?

Millavitiya recorded 3,412 mm in 2025, 31% more rain than the 2,610 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].