Liyota, Lickra

Liyota, Lickra is a black tea estate located in Sri Lanka's Southern Province, at an elevation of 62 metres above sea level. The estate is operated by Liyota and is recorded as a supplier to Finlays, a major player in the international tea trade.

Terroir & Climate

At 62 metres above sea level, Liyota, Lickra sits well within the low-grown category that characterises much of Sri Lanka's coastal and near-coastal tea production. Estates at this elevation typically experience warmer, more humid conditions than their mid- or high-grown counterparts, and the growing cycle tends to be faster, with year-round cropping more common. The Southern Province's proximity to the Indian Ocean generally subjects low-grown gardens to consistent warmth and seasonal monsoonal influence, which can shape both yield patterns and leaf development.

Low elevations in tropical Sri Lanka tend to produce vigorous vegetative growth, and the leaf from such estates is often larger and darker than that from higher altitudes. While cooler, high-grown regions are traditionally associated with more aromatic, delicate teas, low-grown estates in this latitude typically yield bolder, more robust leaf that processes into stronger, quicker-brewing blacks. The specific terroir of the Southern Province—its soil composition, rainfall distribution, and microclimatic variation—can introduce further nuance, though such detail is seldom disclosed at the estate level.

Tea Produced

Liyota, Lickra produces black tea. Low-grown Ceylon blacks from the Southern Province typically brew to a deep copper or reddish hue and are characterised by full body, brisk astringency, and straightforward malty or earthy notes. Estates at this elevation and latitude tend to yield teas well-suited to blending, particularly for breakfast-style packets and single-origin offerings that emphasise strength and colour over delicate aromatics. The cup profile is generally robust, with good tannin structure and a clean, if less complex, finish compared to high-grown Ceylon teas.

Supply Chain & Market Position

Liyota, Lickra is recorded as supplying Finlays, a global tea and beverage ingredients business with significant procurement, blending, and export operations. Finlays' supply network spans multiple origins and is known to service major retail brands, foodservice clients, and branded tea companies worldwide. The estate's inclusion in Finlays' recorded supply base suggests it meets the buyer's quality, volume, and consistency benchmarks, and is likely integrated into blends or bulk shipments destined for international markets, particularly where strong, reliable low-grown Ceylon is in demand.

• Recorded supplier to  Finlays

Operator

Liyota, Lickra is operated by Liyota. No further estates operated by this entity are currently recorded in our directory.

Location & Neighbouring Estates

Liyota, Lickra lies at 6.0917, 80.2954 in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. Its 62 m elevation is the joint 58th highest of 134 estates we map in Southern Province. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:

• Thalgampola — 1.1 km away
• New Kottawa Valley — 1.1 km away
• Samrin — 1.3 km away
• Golden Leaf — 1.7 km away
• Captain Garden — 2.0 km away

Estates at a Similar Altitude to Liyota, Lickra

Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match Liyota, Lickra (62 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. Liyota, Lickra recorded 3,195 mm in 2025, 52% more than the 2,099 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
Attareekhat Tea Estate	Darrang, India	62 m	2,556 mm	29.5 °C
Hunan Xiangfeng Tea Factory	Changsha County, China	63 m	1,236 mm	24.1 °C
Andaradeniya Estate, Nivithigala	Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka	61 m	3,214 mm	30.5 °C
Karotoa Bohumukhi somobay somiti Factory Ltd.	Panchagarh, Bangladesh	60 m	2,252 mm	29.0 °C
Hunan Jinjin Tea Factory Co., Ltd	Changsha, China	64 m	1,236 mm	24.1 °C

Liyota, Lickra Compared with Southern Province

In Southern Province, Liyota, Lickra is wetter than 62% of the others by 2025 rainfall; higher than 56% of the others by elevation; cooler than 68% of the others by daytime temperature. The table sets Liyota, Lickra 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	Liyota, Lickra	Region median	Region range
Elevation	62 m	46 m	6 to 806 m
Annual rainfall (2025)	3,195 mm	3,022 mm	2,210 to 3,589 mm
Mean daily high	29.6 °C	29.8 °C	25.9 to 30.5 °C
Mean overnight low	23.0 °C	22.6 °C	18.2 to 24.1 °C

Observed Climate at Liyota, Lickra (2025)

ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for Liyota, Lickra’s coordinates recorded 3,195 mm of precipitation across calendar year 2025. The wettest month was November (526 mm) and the driest was February (77 mm). Daytime highs averaged 29.6 °C and overnight lows 23.0 °C over the year; May was the warmest month and January the coolest.

Metric	2025 value
Annual precipitation	3,195 mm
Wettest month	November (526 mm)
Driest month	February (77 mm)
Mean daily high	29.6 °C
Mean overnight low	23.0 °C

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Liyota, Lickra located?

Liyota, Lickra is in Southern Province, Sri Lanka, at coordinates 6.0917, 80.2954, at an elevation of about 62 metres.

Who operates Liyota, Lickra?

Liyota, Lickra is operated by Liyota, according to public supply-chain records.

What type of tea does Liyota, Lickra produce?

Liyota, Lickra is recorded as producing black tea.

Which buyers does Liyota, Lickra supply?

Public supplier disclosures record Liyota, Lickra as supplying Finlays.

How much rain does Liyota, Lickra receive?

ERA5 reanalysis data for the estate's coordinates recorded 3,195 mm of precipitation in 2025, peaking in November (526 mm).

How does Liyota, Lickra compare with estates at a similar elevation?

Liyota, Lickra recorded 3,195 mm in 2025, 52% more rain than the 2,099 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].