Makandura

Makandura is a tea estate located in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka, operating at an elevation of just 52 metres above sea level. The estate produces black tea and is recorded as a supplier to Finlays, a major international tea and horticulture company. Its low-altitude position places it firmly within Sri Lanka's low-grown tea category, a sector that accounts for a significant share of the island's total tea output.

Terroir & Climate

At 52 metres above sea level, Makandura occupies one of the lowest elevations at which tea is commercially cultivated in Sri Lanka. Estates at this altitude typically experience warm, humid conditions year-round, with less diurnal temperature variation than their high-grown counterparts. The Southern Province's proximity to the equator and the Indian Ocean generally means consistent rainfall patterns, though the southwest monsoon typically exerts the dominant influence on the growing cycle. Low-grown estates in this region tend to experience faster flush cycles and higher yields per hectare than those at higher elevations.

The warm, moist environment at this elevation generally favours vigorous vegetative growth and rapid leaf development. Estates in Sri Lanka's low-grown zones often contend with higher pest and disease pressure due to the year-round warmth, and the faster metabolism of the tea plant at sea level typically results in leaf chemistry that differs markedly from that of high-grown Ceylon teas. The terroir at Makandura's altitude tends to produce teas with bolder, more robust character rather than the delicate aromatics associated with elevation.

Tea Produced

Makandura produces black tea, the dominant category across Sri Lanka's low-grown estates. Teas from this elevation and region typically yield a strong, full-bodied cup with good colour and astringency. Low-grown Ceylon blacks generally lack the bright, fragrant complexity of high-grown teas but tend to offer consistency, strength and blending utility. Estates at this altitude often produce leaf suited to CTC processing or to orthodox grades destined for breakfast blends and food-service applications, where body and colour are valued over nuance. The cup profile at Makandura's elevation would typically be characterised by malty, robust notes rather than floral or citrus brightness.

Supply Chain & Market Position

Makandura is recorded as supplying Finlays, a vertically integrated tea business with estates, blending facilities and distribution operations across multiple continents. Finlays sources tea from a wide network of estates and smallholders, primarily for onward sale to brand owners, retailers and food-service companies. The presence of Finlays as a buyer suggests that Makandura's output enters a global supply chain serving mainstream and institutional markets, where consistency, volume and price competitiveness are key selection criteria. Low-grown Ceylon teas of this kind are often destined for blending rather than single-origin retail, and Finlays' purchasing patterns reflect demand from buyers seeking reliable, year-round supply of robust black tea.

• Recorded supplier to  Finlays

Location & Neighbouring Estates

Makandura lies at 6.1419, 80.5563 in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. Its 52 m elevation is the joint 64th highest of 134 estates we map in Southern Province. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:

• Ransegoda — 2.7 km away
• Gunawardena — 4.1 km away
• Kudapana — 5.4 km away
• Mulatiyana Tea \u00a0Factory — 6.4 km away · B98
• Galagawa — 6.4 km away

Estates at a Similar Altitude to Makandura

Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match Makandura (52 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. Makandura recorded 2,584 mm in 2025, 8% less than the 2,795 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
Green Field Tea Industries Ltd.	Rangpur, Bangladesh	52 m	2,204 mm	29.1 °C
Fuhong Tea Industry Co., Ltd.-Xinjia farm	Jiangxi Province, China	52 m	1,313 mm	24.6 °C
KOKRAJHAR	Assam, India	52 m	3,229 mm	29.3 °C
Agalawatte Plantations, Delgoda	Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka	52 m	3,413 mm	30.1 °C
Falcon	Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka	52 m	3,815 mm	30.1 °C

Makandura Compared with Southern Province

In Southern Province, Makandura is drier than 86% of the others by 2025 rainfall; higher than 52% of the others by elevation; warmer than 92% of the others by daytime temperature. The table sets Makandura 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	Makandura	Region median	Region range
Elevation	52 m	46 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 Makandura (2025)

ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for Makandura’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 Makandura located?

Makandura is in Southern Province, Sri Lanka, at coordinates 6.1419, 80.5563, at an elevation of about 52 metres.

What type of tea does Makandura produce?

Makandura is recorded as producing black tea.

Which buyers does Makandura supply?

Public supplier disclosures record Makandura as supplying Finlays.

How much rain does Makandura receive?

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

How does Makandura compare with estates at a similar elevation?

Makandura recorded 2,584 mm in 2025, 8% less rain than the 2,795 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].