Rathna

Rathna is a tea estate located in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka, positioned at just 15 metres above sea level. The estate produces black tea and is recorded as a supplier to Finlays, one of the world's leading tea and coffee companies. The operator of the estate is not publicly documented in trade records.

Terroir & Climate

At 15 metres elevation, Rathna occupies the low-grown category of Sri Lankan tea production, where estates typically experience warmer temperatures and faster-growing conditions than their counterparts in the mid- and high-elevation zones. The Southern Province's proximity to the equator and coastal influence generally result in consistent warmth and humidity year-round, conditions that tend to encourage vigorous vegetative growth and shorter intervals between plucking rounds.

Low-grown estates in Sri Lanka often contend with more pronounced wet and dry periods dictated by the island's monsoon patterns, though the absence of altitude-related temperature moderation typically means that flush cycles are less sharply seasonal than in the hill country. These growing conditions generally favour leaf that develops quickly, yielding teas with body and strength rather than the more delicate aromatic complexity associated with higher elevations.

Tea Produced

Rathna produces black tea, the dominant category for low-grown Sri Lankan estates. Teas from this elevation band typically yield a robust, full-bodied cup with good colour and strength, characteristics that tend to make them well suited to blending. The cup profile of low-grown Ceylon black teas often emphasises malty or earthy notes rather than the bright, brisk character of high-grown production, and the liquor generally shows deeper amber or coppery tones. Estates at this altitude are frequently valued by international buyers for their consistency and the structural backbone they provide in breakfast blends and ready-to-drink formulations.

Supply Chain & Market Position

Rathna is documented as a supplier to Finlays, a vertically integrated tea business with a global footprint in sourcing, blending, and brand supply. Finlays operates its own estates and also sources from independent producers across the major tea origins, supplying both multinational brands and retail private-label programmes. The relationship indicates that Rathna's output meets the quality and traceability standards required by a buyer serving international grocery and foodservice channels, and suggests the estate is integrated into supply chains where volume, consistency, and compliance documentation are commercial prerequisites.

• Recorded supplier to  Finlays

Location & Neighbouring Estates

Rathna lies at 6.1293, 80.2921 in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. Its 15 m elevation is the joint 115th highest of 134 estates we map in Southern Province. The nearest estates in the TeaTrade directory, measured point-to-point from these coordinates, are:

• Ruwanthanne — under 1 km away
• Davidson — 1.7 km away
• Nehinigala — 2.3 km away
• Iddamaldeniya — 3.0 km away
• Janahitha — 3.4 km away

Estates at a Similar Altitude to Rathna

Elevation shapes how slowly leaf matures, so we match Rathna (15 m) with estates within 150 m of its height that are not its neighbours. Each is shown with its own 2025 climate. Rathna recorded 3,412 mm in 2025, 10% more than the 3,102 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
Ahidabad Tea Factory	Moulvibazar, Bangladesh	15 m	3,158 mm	29.8 °C
Bijoya tea Factory	Moulvibazar, Bangladesh	15 m	2,559 mm	30.1 °C
Avt Natural Products Limited	Aluva 683 105, India	15 m	3,944 mm	31.2 °C
Okayti Tea Estate	Dharmatala Kolkata, India	15 m	1,858 mm	31.4 °C
Rathmalgoda	Western Province, Sri Lanka	15 m	3,991 mm	29.7 °C

Rathna Compared with Southern Province

In Southern Province, Rathna is wetter than 80% of the others by 2025 rainfall; lower than 86% of the others by elevation; cooler than 51% of the others by daytime temperature. The table sets Rathna 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	Rathna	Region median	Region range
Elevation	15 m	49 m	6 to 806 m
Annual rainfall (2025)	3,412 mm	3,022 mm	2,210 to 3,589 mm
Mean daily high	29.8 °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 Rathna (2025)

ERA5 reanalysis data modelled for Rathna’s coordinates recorded 3,412 mm of precipitation across calendar year 2025. The wettest month was November (533 mm) and the driest was February (78 mm). Daytime highs averaged 29.8 °C and overnight lows 22.5 °C over the year; May was the warmest month and January the coolest.

Metric	2025 value
Annual precipitation	3,412 mm
Wettest month	November (533 mm)
Driest month	February (78 mm)
Mean daily high	29.8 °C
Mean overnight low	22.5 °C

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Rathna located?

Rathna is in Southern Province, Sri Lanka, at coordinates 6.1293, 80.2921, at an elevation of about 15 metres.

What type of tea does Rathna produce?

Rathna is recorded as producing black tea.

Which buyers does Rathna supply?

Public supplier disclosures record Rathna as supplying Finlays.

How much rain does Rathna receive?

ERA5 reanalysis data for the estate's coordinates recorded 3,412 mm of precipitation in 2025, peaking in November (533 mm).

How does Rathna compare with estates at a similar elevation?

Rathna recorded 3,412 mm in 2025, 10% more rain than the 3,102 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].