Sri Lanka has launched the second phase of its state plantation land investor program, opening hundreds of hectares of underutilised public estate assets across seven districts to local and foreign bidders, Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries Chathuranga Abeysinghe announced on Friday.
The program covers Kandy, Matale, Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Monaragala, Kegalle and Galle districts. Available assets include plantation lands, tea factories, bungalows, agro-tourism sites and renewable energy development zones, the deputy minister said.
Investments are categorised by scale, ranging from large estates above 100 hectares down to smaller strategic plots, alongside standalone industrial facilities such as tea factories and plantation bungalows. Identified sectors include spice cultivation, agricultural tourism, plantation modernisation and value-added manufacturing for export.
The initiative was introduced under the 2025 Budget by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to turn dormant public assets into productive ventures and improve land utilisation in the upcountry economy. The government expects the program to generate employment, modernise the plantation sector and integrate tourism and renewable energy projects on estate land.
Both local and foreign investors are eligible, as are Sri Lankan individuals and legally registered entities entering long-term development partnerships. Further details are published in the procurement section of the Plantation Ministry’s official website.
The Phase 2 rollout lands at a moment of mixed signals for the wider plantation sector — listed planters such as Chilaw Plantations have posted record profits on stronger tea prices, while estate workers continue to pursue Rs. 1,700 daily wage enforcement at the Human Rights Commission.
