PPP at Kelliewatte
Cafédirect has been in partnership with Kelliewatte, since 2006. As well as the tea grown on the estate, the Kelliewatte factory also buys tea from smallholder farmers from three neighbouring villages.
Since beginning our partnership with Kelliewatte in 2006, we have been working with these smallholder farmers through our Producer Partnership Programme PPP to enable them to work towards Fairtrade certification.
We’ve provided support and training to the farmers to strengthen their organisations, register their associations, develop nurseries for new plants, replant aged tea bushes, and improve their knowledge of tea growing. Farmers have increased their tea yields, and gained confidence and strength from working together.
GK Wimalarathna
Tea Grower and Chairman of Tea Smallholders Association, Beramana Village (picture below)
"Earlier, people in the area did not have good knowledge of tea husbandry. After training, production has increased, both in quantity and quality. They also now keep records of their production and yield, and how much tea is sold to Kelliewatte."
A.M.N.K Athapaththu
Tea Grower and Chairman of Diriya Smallholder Tea Society (picture above)
"Before training we didn’t have a good understanding about using fertiliser or the lifecycle of tea plants. We have old plants (over 75 years old) and realise we should replant… We receive support from Cafédirect and now produce high quality and healthy tea."