Iththagala

Iththagala is a tea estate located in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka, operating at an altitude of 30 metres above sea level. The estate produces black tea and is recorded as supplying Finlays, a major name in the global tea trade. At this low elevation, Iththagala sits within Sri Lanka's coastal tea-growing belt, a region less celebrated internationally than the central highlands but significant for volume production.

Terroir & Climate

At 30 metres above sea level, Iththagala occupies the low-grown tier of Sri Lankan tea cultivation, where warm, humid conditions and proximity to the coast typically shape the growing environment. Estates at this elevation generally experience year-round warmth and consistent rainfall patterns influenced by both monsoons, conditions that tend to promote vigorous vegetative growth and faster leaf maturation compared with highland gardens.

Low-grown teas from Sri Lanka's Southern Province are usually characterised by robust, full-bodied liquors with strong colour and brisk flavour, traits that commercial buyers often prize for blending. The combination of heat, moisture and lower altitude typically results in teas with less aromatic complexity than high-grown counterparts but greater strength and yield per hectare, making such estates important contributors to the commodity segment of the market.

Tea Produced

Iththagala produces black tea, and at this low elevation the leaf typically yields a bold, full-bodied cup with pronounced astringency and deep colour. Low-grown Ceylon blacks from the Southern Province tend to offer straightforward, robust character rather than the nuanced brightness or floral notes associated with higher altitudes; they are generally valued for strength and consistency in blended products, where body and colour are paramount.

Supply Chain & Market Position

Iththagala is recorded as supplying Finlays, one of the world's largest tea and beverage companies, with operations spanning sourcing, blending, packing and brand partnerships across multiple continents. Finlays handles significant volumes of Sri Lankan tea for onward sale to retail brands and food-service clients, suggesting that Iththagala's output is directed into commercial supply chains where consistency, strength and competitive pricing are key requirements. This relationship indicates a position within the commodity and blending segment of the market rather than the speciality or estate-branded sector.

• Recorded supplier to  Finlays

Location & Neighbouring Estates

Iththagala lies at 6.0351, 80.3555 in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. Its 30 m elevation is the 85th highest of 134 estates we map in Southern Province. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:

• Wilehena — under 1 km away
• Muswenna — 3.2 km away
• Paragodakanda — 3.9 km away
• Seranya — 3.9 km away
• Naindawa — 5.0 km away

Estates at a Similar Altitude to Iththagala

Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match Iththagala (30 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. Iththagala recorded 2,612 mm in 2025, within 5% of the 2,510 mm average across these estates, so altitude explains most of its rainfall.

Estate	Where	Elevation	Rain 2025	Mean high
Rajnagar Tea Estate Factory	Moulvibazar, Bangladesh	30 m	2,536 mm	30.1 °C
Marumatsu Tea Co., Ltd.	Shizuoka, Japan	30 m	1,920 mm	21.0 °C
Sithaka Tea Factory	Colombo District, Sri Lanka	30 m	3,736 mm	30.2 °C
Suizhou Shennong Tea Co., Ltd.	No.66 Jiqing St, China	31 m	1,354 mm	23.4 °C
JALINGA	Rosekandi Grant Pt II, India	29 m	3,003 mm	30.3 °C

Iththagala Compared with Southern Province

In Southern Province, Iththagala is drier than 83% of the others by 2025 rainfall; lower than 63% of the others by elevation; cooler than 74% of the others by daytime temperature. The table sets Iththagala 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	Iththagala	Region median	Region range
Elevation	30 m	49 m	6 to 806 m
Annual rainfall (2025)	2,612 mm	3,022 mm	2,210 to 3,589 mm
Mean daily high	29.5 °C	29.8 °C	25.9 to 30.5 °C
Mean overnight low	23.7 °C	22.6 °C	18.2 to 24.1 °C

Observed Climate at Iththagala (2025)

ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for Iththagala’s coordinates recorded 2,612 mm of precipitation across calendar year 2025. The wettest month was November (450 mm) and the driest was February (76 mm). Daytime highs averaged 29.5 °C and overnight lows 23.7 °C over the year; May was the warmest month and January the coolest.

Metric	2025 value
Annual precipitation	2,612 mm
Wettest month	November (450 mm)
Driest month	February (76 mm)
Mean daily high	29.5 °C
Mean overnight low	23.7 °C

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Iththagala located?

Iththagala is in Southern Province, Sri Lanka, at coordinates 6.0351, 80.3555, at an elevation of about 30 metres.

What type of tea does Iththagala produce?

Iththagala is recorded as producing black tea.

Which buyers does Iththagala supply?

Public supplier disclosures record Iththagala as supplying Finlays.

How much rain does Iththagala receive?

ERA5 reanalysis data for the estate's coordinates recorded 2,612 mm of precipitation in 2025, peaking in November (450 mm).

How does Iththagala compare with estates at a similar elevation?

Estates at a similar elevation recorded about 2,510 mm of rain in 2025, close to the 2,612 mm at Iththagala.

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].