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Peasants and plantations in the Sri Lankan tea sector: causes of the change in their relative viability

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  • Deepananda Herath
  • Alfons Weersink

Abstract

In contrast to the increasing trend in farm size found in most agricultural sectors, the absolute number of producers and relative share of total production from small farms growing green leaf tea in Sri Lanka have increased significantly over time. The boom in peasant production and the corresponding decline in plantations are due to the same general drivers explaining the increase in farm size elsewhere. Government programs and price effects that reduced revenue uncertainty and relative costs of production have enhanced the competitive position of small farmers relative to large estates. Copyright 2007 The Authors Journal compilation 2007 Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society Inc. and Blackwell Publishing Ltd .

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  • Deepananda Herath & Alfons Weersink, 2007. "Peasants and plantations in the Sri Lankan tea sector: causes of the change in their relative viability ," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 51(1), pages 73-89, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ajarec:v:51:y:2007:i:1:p:73-89
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    1. Chandana Alawattage & Danture Wickramasinghe, 2009. "Weapons of the weak: subalterns' emancipatory accounting in Ceylon Tea," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 22(3), pages 379-404, March.
    2. Herath, Deepananda & Weersink, Alfons, 2009. "From Plantations to Smallholder Production: The Role of Policy in the Reorganization of the Sri Lankan Tea Sector," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(11), pages 1759-1772, November.
    3. Gunathilaka, Rajapaksha P. D. & Smart, James C. R. & Fleming, Christopher M. & Hasan, Syezlin, 2018. "The impact of climate change on labour demand in the plantation sector: the case of tea production in Sri Lanka," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 62(3), July.
    4. Rajapaksha P. D. Gunathilaka & James C. R. Smart & Christopher M. Fleming & Syezlin Hasan, 2018. "The impact of climate change on labour demand in the plantation sector: the case of tea production in Sri Lanka," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 62(3), pages 480-500, July.
    5. Rathnayake, Chinthani & Griffith, Garry & Sinnett, Alexandria & Malcolm, Bill & Farquharson, Bob, 2023. "Developing an Equilibrium Displacement Model of the Sri Lankan Tea Industry," Australasian Agribusiness Review, University of Melbourne, Department of Agriculture and Food Systems, vol. 31(2), April.

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