Nawalakanda

Nawalakanda is a tea estate located in Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka, at an elevation of approximately 299 metres above sea level. The estate produces black tea and is recorded as supplying Finlays, the global tea and coffee supplier with extensive sourcing operations across Sri Lanka's growing regions.

Terroir & Climate

At just under 300 metres elevation, Nawalakanda sits firmly within Sri Lanka's low-grown tea zone, where year-round warmth and humidity typically support rapid vegetative growth and high yields. Estates at this altitude generally experience minimal diurnal temperature variation and consistent rainfall, conditions that tend to favour vigorous flush production throughout much of the year rather than the sharply defined seasonal quality peaks seen at higher elevations.

Sabaragamuwa Province, positioned in the south-central wet zone, typically receives substantial monsoon influence from both the south-west and north-east systems. The combination of low elevation, tropical temperatures, and generous rainfall usually produces robust leaf growth with a quick maturation cycle, characteristics that generally shape the style and commercial application of teas from this agro-climatic band.

Tea Produced

As a low-grown Sri Lankan black tea producer, Nawalakanda typically yields teas with the bold, brisk character and good colour associated with estates at this elevation. Low-grown Ceylon blacks generally offer strong body and straightforward, assertive flavour rather than the aromatic complexity or brightness prized in high-grown marks. These teas are often valued for blending, where strength, consistency, and colour contribution tend to be the primary commercial considerations.

Supply Chain & Market Position

Nawalakanda is recorded as supplying Finlays, one of the largest and most established tea suppliers globally and a dominant presence in Sri Lankan sourcing. Finlays operates multiple estates and buying operations across the island and supplies tea to major international brands and blenders. The estate's presence in Finlays' supply chain suggests it produces teas that meet the volume, consistency, and quality benchmarks required by multinational buyers, positioning Nawalakanda within the commercial mainstream of Sri Lanka's low-grown sector.

• Recorded supplier to  Finlays

Location & Neighbouring Estates

Nawalakanda lies at 6.5509, 80.5389 in Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka. Its 299 m elevation is the 25th highest of 75 estates we map in Sabaragamuwa Province. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:

• Kahawatte Plantations, Houpe — 1.7 km away
• Kahawatte Plantations, Endane — 3.1 km away
• Kahawatte Plantations, Poronuwa — 3.1 km away
• New Doralawitiyahena — 4.6 km away
• KDU, Nilvin View — 5.1 km away

Estates at a Similar Altitude to Nawalakanda

Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match Nawalakanda (299 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. Nawalakanda recorded 2,770 mm in 2025, 26% more than the 2,204 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
Broadlands Tea Factory	Kalugala-Laxapana Rd, Sri Lanka	297 m	4,260 mm	28.7 °C
Good Young Co. Ltd.	Longtan Dist, Taiwan	301 m	2,475 mm	26.4 °C
Harmutty	India, India	291 m	1,622 mm	30.5 °C
Waterfall Tea Estate	Valparai, India	313 m	1,020 mm	32.1 °C
ZTG Qinliu Tea Base	Fujian Province, China	316 m	1,643 mm	25.8 °C

Nawalakanda Compared with Sabaragamuwa Province

In Sabaragamuwa Province, Nawalakanda is drier than 81% of the others by 2025 rainfall; higher than 68% of the others by elevation; cooler than 70% of the others by daytime temperature. The table sets Nawalakanda 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	Nawalakanda	Region median	Region range
Elevation	299 m	164 m	26 to 1,355 m
Annual rainfall (2025)	2,770 mm	3,412 mm	2,018 to 4,839 mm
Mean daily high	28.7 °C	29.5 °C	21.5 to 30.9 °C
Mean overnight low	21.5 °C	21.9 °C	15.7 to 23.0 °C

Observed Climate at Nawalakanda (2025)

ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for Nawalakanda’s coordinates recorded 2,770 mm of precipitation across calendar year 2025. The wettest month was November (482 mm) and the driest was February (17 mm). Daytime highs averaged 28.7 °C and overnight lows 21.5 °C over the year; April was the warmest month and January the coolest.

Metric	2025 value
Annual precipitation	2,770 mm
Wettest month	November (482 mm)
Driest month	February (17 mm)
Mean daily high	28.7 °C
Mean overnight low	21.5 °C

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Nawalakanda located?

Nawalakanda is in Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka, at coordinates 6.5509, 80.5389, at an elevation of about 299 metres.

What type of tea does Nawalakanda produce?

Nawalakanda is recorded as producing black tea.

Which buyers does Nawalakanda supply?

Public supplier disclosures record Nawalakanda as supplying Finlays.

How much rain does Nawalakanda receive?

ERA5 reanalysis data for the estate's coordinates recorded 2,770 mm of precipitation in 2025, peaking in November (482 mm).

How does Nawalakanda compare with estates at a similar elevation?

Nawalakanda recorded 2,770 mm in 2025, 26% more rain than the 2,204 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].