The Brisbane-based business that produces Sri Lankan tea is navigating the South Asian nation’s worst economic crisis since independence in 1948.
Sri Lanka is half a world away but feels very close to home for brothers Chris and Lawrence Seaton.
About 200 people work at Origin Tea’s factory in Sri Lanka, which is experiencing daily power cuts that last up to eight hours. This means switching to diesel generators, which increases production costs by 10 per cent to 20 per cent.“Sri Lankan families don’t even have gas bottles, so they can cook and put food on the table,” he said.
Along with additional costs for diesel at the factory, pandemic-related supply chain problems mean Origin Tea must pay $6000 for every shipping container it brings to Australia, a six-fold increase on the $1000 it paid before COVID-19.Chris made an urgent trip to Colombo last month to establish new suppliers because local manufacturers could no longer import what they needed, including packaging.
COVID-19 made the Seaton brothers realise they needed to sell directly to consumers, and their Origin Sticky Chai will be available in supermarkets from next month.
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