Factors Affecting on Adoption to Factory Automation in Low Country Tea Manufacturing Process
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Date
2013
Authors
Abeynayake, M.M.
Rathnayaka, R.M.S.D.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka
Abstract
The legacy of Sri Lankan tea industry shows that Sri Lanka is one of the oldest tea producing
countries in the world. The tea produced in this country is popularly known as “Ceylon Tea”
and ranks among the best available teas in the international trade. Over the years, the word
Ceylon has become synonymous with quality tea.
Sri Lanka’s tea cultivators and manufacturers are the custodians of the traditional, orthodox
method of black tea producers. This method is still agreed by most experts to produce the best
black tea. Even with the technological improvements introduced to the tea industry over the last
thirty or forty years, the orthodox method is relatively slow and labour-intensive method. In tea
industry worker productivity plays an important role (Mohamed and Zoysa, 2006). Arising the
worker shortage and Lower efficiency of workers in recent time Sri Lanka tea industry has
faced several problems. Labour availability in the tea industry has declined by 50 % from the
1980s. Other than, the wage rate has catapulted from Rs 290/- five-years back to Rs 620/- as at
2013 which is an increase of 114%. But the net sales prices from the auctions reveal that in
2008 the average was at Rs 310/- per kg and today the prices are at around 400/- which reflects
only a 29% increase. Therefore cost of production has increased significantly. Automation of
tea processing, is a best solution to minimize over-dependence on workers and improve
efficiency of the stages in manufacturing process. Automated tea processing systems able to
convert the tea processing industry with state of the art material moving conveyor systems and
other automation facilities. This has successfully improved the quality and quantity of the tea
output from the tea production process. Even though it gains more benefits to the industry only
a few have modernized to a notable degree (Kodithuwakku and Priyanath, 2007).
But there are no studies that help to identify the current situation of adoption of factory
automations in Sri Lankan tea industry. Therefore this study aimed to determine the factors that
influence the adoption to factory automation in tea manufacturing.
Description
Keywords
Agriculture, Export Agriculture, Crop Production, Tea Industrials, Tea Technology, Automation