Gunawardena

Gunawardena is a tea estate located in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka, at an elevation of just 17 metres above sea level. This places it firmly in the low-grown category of Sri Lankan tea production, a zone that produces the majority of the island's black tea by volume. The estate is recorded as supplying Finlays, the multinational tea processor and exporter with a significant presence in Sri Lanka's supply chain.

Terroir & Climate

At 17 metres above sea level, Gunawardena sits in the coastal lowlands of the Southern Province, where temperatures remain consistently warm year-round and humidity levels are high. Estates at this elevation typically experience faster flush cycles than their high-grown counterparts, with leaf growth driven by heat rather than the cool, slow maturation that characterises Ceylon's mountain gardens. The proximity to the equator—at approximately 6°N—means day length varies little across the year, contributing to steady, continuous cropping.

Low-grown Sri Lankan estates generally contend with greater disease pressure and faster oxidation rates in the leaf, both consequences of the warmer, wetter conditions. These factors tend to shape both field management and factory processing. The Southern Province's maritime influence often brings reliable rainfall, though the precise microclimate at any given estate depends on local topography and proximity to the coast.

Tea Produced

Gunawardena produces black tea. Low-grown Ceylon black teas from this elevation band typically yield a bold, full-bodied cup with strong colour and a straightforward, malty character. These teas tend to lack the bright, complex aromatics of high-grown Ceylon but are valued for strength, consistency, and blending utility. Estates in the Southern Province often produce leaf suited to CTC as well as orthodox processing, depending on market demand, and the resultant liquor is generally robust and well-suited to milk.

Supply Chain & Market Position

Gunawardena is recorded as supplying Finlays, one of the largest tea companies operating in Sri Lanka and a key intermediary in the global tea trade. Finlays sources from numerous estates across the island and services major international buyers, including retail brands and foodservice clients. The presence of Finlays as a recorded buyer suggests that Gunawardena's output enters a well-established supply chain with reach into multiple end markets, though the estate's specific contractual arrangements and volumes remain unverified.

• Recorded supplier to  Finlays

Location & Neighbouring Estates

Gunawardena lies at 6.1346, 80.5203 in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. Its 17 m elevation is the 112th highest of 134 estates we map in Southern Province. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:

• Galagawa — 3.0 km away
• Uruwela — 3.3 km away
• Makandura — 4.1 km away
• Fairyland — 4.4 km away
• Ransegoda — 5.2 km away

Estates at a Similar Altitude to Gunawardena

Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match Gunawardena (17 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. Gunawardena recorded 2,584 mm in 2025, within 5% of the 2,595 mm average across these estates, so altitude explains most of its rainfall.

Estate	Where	Elevation	Rain 2025	Mean high
Allynugger Tea Estate	Moulvibazar, Bangladesh	17 m	2,300 mm	30.2 °C
Balishira tea Factory	Moulvibazar, Bangladesh	17 m	2,123 mm	30.2 °C
Zhejiang Chunan New Continent Tea Co. Ltd.	Xihu Dadao, China	17 m	1,470 mm	24.3 °C
Renukanda Tea Estate	B158, Sri Lanka	17 m	3,642 mm	30.0 °C
Thundola Tea Estate	B363, Sri Lanka	17 m	3,439 mm	30.1 °C

Gunawardena Compared with Southern Province

In Southern Province, Gunawardena is drier than 86% of the others by 2025 rainfall; lower than 83% of the others by elevation; warmer than 92% of the others by daytime temperature. The table sets Gunawardena against the 133 other estates we map in Southern Province, so you can see whether it is typical for its region or an outlier.

Measure	Gunawardena	Region median	Region range
Elevation	17 m	49 m	6 to 806 m
Annual rainfall (2025)	2,584 mm	3,022 mm	2,210 to 3,589 mm
Mean daily high	30.4 °C	29.8 °C	25.9 to 30.5 °C
Mean overnight low	22.5 °C	22.6 °C	18.2 to 24.1 °C

Observed Climate at Gunawardena (2025)

ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for Gunawardena’s coordinates recorded 2,584 mm of precipitation across calendar year 2025. The wettest month was November (442 mm) and the driest was February (50 mm). Daytime highs averaged 30.4 °C and overnight lows 22.5 °C over the year; May was the warmest month and January the coolest.

Metric	2025 value
Annual precipitation	2,584 mm
Wettest month	November (442 mm)
Driest month	February (50 mm)
Mean daily high	30.4 °C
Mean overnight low	22.5 °C

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Gunawardena located?

Gunawardena is in Southern Province, Sri Lanka, at coordinates 6.1346, 80.5203, at an elevation of about 17 metres.

What type of tea does Gunawardena produce?

Gunawardena is recorded as producing black tea.

Which buyers does Gunawardena supply?

Public supplier disclosures record Gunawardena as supplying Finlays.

How much rain does Gunawardena receive?

ERA5 reanalysis data for the estate's coordinates recorded 2,584 mm of precipitation in 2025, peaking in November (442 mm).

How does Gunawardena compare with estates at a similar elevation?

Estates at a similar elevation recorded about 2,595 mm of rain in 2025, close to the 2,584 mm at Gunawardena.

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].