Moraketiya

Moraketiya is a tea estate located in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka, operating at an altitude of just 46 metres above sea level. The estate produces black tea and is recorded as supplying Finlays, a major buyer and processor in the global tea trade. No operating company has been publicly documented for this estate.

Terroir & Climate

At 46 metres above sea level, Moraketiya occupies one of the lowest elevations at which tea is commercially cultivated in Sri Lanka. Estates at this altitude in the Southern Province typically experience warm, humid conditions year-round, with little of the diurnal temperature variation found in the island's celebrated highland zones. These low-grown environments generally support vigorous vegetative growth and rapid leaf turnover, with the warmth accelerating the biochemical processes within the tea plant.

Southern Province coastal and near-coastal estates tend to receive the influence of both monsoon cycles, though the region's exposure and topography mean that rainfall patterns can be localised. The consistently warm temperatures at this elevation typically favour bold, full-bodied leaf development rather than the delicate aromatics associated with high-grown Ceylon teas. Low-elevation terroir in Sri Lanka often yields teas with robust structure and strength, characteristics that are generally valued in blending and in markets favouring assertive cup profiles.

Tea Produced

Moraketiya produces black tea, and estates at this low elevation in the Southern Province typically yield teas with a strong, full-bodied character. Low-grown Ceylon blacks generally offer pronounced strength and colour in the cup, with a malty, straightforward profile that tends to lack the floral or citrus notes often found in high-altitude teas. The warm growing conditions at 46 metres usually result in leaves with robust tannin structures and a briskness that makes them well-suited to breakfast blends and applications where body and colour are prioritised over aromatic complexity.

Supply Chain & Market Position

Moraketiya is recorded as supplying Finlays, one of the largest tea packers and supply-chain operators in the world. Finlays sources tea from estates across all major origins to serve retail, foodservice, and ingredients customers in dozens of markets. The presence of Finlays as a buyer indicates that Moraketiya's production is likely absorbed into commercial blending programmes or bulk supply chains, rather than being marketed as a single-estate or origin-specific product. This supply relationship positions the estate within the high-volume, commodity-focused segment of the Sri Lankan tea industry.

• Recorded supplier to  Finlays

Location & Neighbouring Estates

Moraketiya lies at 6.1072, 80.3784 in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. Its 46 m elevation is the joint 68th highest of 134 estates we map in Southern Province. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:

• Karagoda — under 1 km away
• Naindawa — 3.5 km away
• Uduella — 4.9 km away
• Ruhunuputha — 5.0 km away
• Muswenna — 5.3 km away

Estates at a Similar Altitude to Moraketiya

Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match Moraketiya (46 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. Moraketiya recorded 3,022 mm in 2025, within 5% of the 3,125 mm average across these estates, so altitude explains most of its rainfall.

Estate	Where	Elevation	Rain 2025	Mean high
Owaggachara Tea Estate Factory	Rangamati, Bangladesh	46 m	2,525 mm	30.0 °C
Atiabagh Tea Estate	Moulvibazar, Bangladesh	45 m	2,948 mm	30.0 °C
Hunan Tea Group Co., Ltd. - final packing and refining processing	Changsha, China	47 m	1,348 mm	24.8 °C
Non Pareil	Ratnapura, Sri Lanka	44 m	4,458 mm	30.2 °C
Galahitiya	Sabaragamuwa Province, Sri Lanka	48 m	4,348 mm	30.0 °C

Moraketiya Compared with Southern Province

In Southern Province, Moraketiya is wetter than 50% of the others by 2025 rainfall; lower than 51% of the others by elevation; warmer than 62% of the others by daytime temperature. The table sets Moraketiya 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	Moraketiya	Region median	Region range
Elevation	46 m	49 m	6 to 806 m
Annual rainfall (2025)	3,022 mm	3,022 mm	2,210 to 3,589 mm
Mean daily high	29.9 °C	29.8 °C	25.9 to 30.5 °C
Mean overnight low	22.7 °C	22.6 °C	18.2 to 24.1 °C

Observed Climate at Moraketiya (2025)

ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for Moraketiya’s coordinates recorded 3,022 mm of precipitation across calendar year 2025. The wettest month was November (513 mm) and the driest was February (81 mm). Daytime highs averaged 29.9 °C and overnight lows 22.7 °C over the year; May was the warmest month and January the coolest.

Metric	2025 value
Annual precipitation	3,022 mm
Wettest month	November (513 mm)
Driest month	February (81 mm)
Mean daily high	29.9 °C
Mean overnight low	22.7 °C

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Moraketiya located?

Moraketiya is in Southern Province, Sri Lanka, at coordinates 6.1072, 80.3784, at an elevation of about 46 metres.

What type of tea does Moraketiya produce?

Moraketiya is recorded as producing black tea.

Which buyers does Moraketiya supply?

Public supplier disclosures record Moraketiya as supplying Finlays.

How much rain does Moraketiya receive?

ERA5 reanalysis data for the estate's coordinates recorded 3,022 mm of precipitation in 2025, peaking in November (513 mm).

How does Moraketiya compare with estates at a similar elevation?

Estates at a similar elevation recorded about 3,125 mm of rain in 2025, close to the 3,022 mm at Moraketiya.

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].