Dilhan C. Fernando, CEO of Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company and Dr. Prasad Dharmasena, CEO of the National Institute of Plantation Management exchange the agreement, also in the picture are Ruvini Lokuhetti, Training Specialist, S.N. Illanganthilake, Head Academic Affairs, Asoka Siriwardana, Chairman of NIPM, Lahiru Kulasekera, Training Officer, L.D.J. Priyantha, Accountant, P.H. Jayathilake, Training Specialist,Chanaka Weerakoon, Training Officer, Dr. Dan Seevaratnam, COO, Kahawatte Plantations, David Colin Thomé, Editor, History of Ceylon Tea, Anura Gunasekera, Former CEO of Kahawatte Plantations.
Dilmah initiated a collaboration with the National Institute of Plantation Management (NIPM), to develop and produce a teaching module based on the History of Ceylon Tea.
Adding a new dimension to the current NIPM syllabus on Plantation Management, the memorandum of agreement was jointly attested at Dilmah’s Head Office on 3rd March 2022, by Dilhan C. Fernando, CEO of Dilmah Ceylon Tea Company and Dr. Prasad Dharmasena, CEO of the National Institute of Plantation Management, in the presence of Asoka Siriwardana, Chairman of NIPM.
The NIPM is the only educational institute in Sri Lanka, providing an exclusive alignment with the wide-ranging technical, agricultural and administrative requirements of the country’s plantation sector. In addition to offering a wide spectrum of diploma programmes in relation to Tea, Rubber, Coconut and Oil Palm, it is also empowered, in collaboration with the Faculty of Agriculture and Plantation Management of the Wayamba University, to offer the Bachelor of Science Degree in Plantation Management (external).
This worthy initiative was the result of discussions between Dilmah and Dr. Prasad Dharmasena, Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NIPM. Dilhan Fernando, on behalf of Dilmah, expressed his appreciation for the co-operation, adding the importance of students of tea understanding the industry’s history in participating in its future. Dilmah’s History of Ceylon Tea initiative is another aspect of the commitment of Merrill J Fernando, the founder of Dilmah, to Ceylon Tea and its long-term sustainability.
Quite apart from the educational aspects of the history of the plantation industry, the module will seek to highlight its other interesting features, which made the industry such an attractive profession for previous generations of young men. It was and still is, a demanding vocation, yet preserving an allure of its own, not seen in any other professional sphere in this country, which compensates for the difficulties.
Dilmah’s History of Ceylon Tea initiative was launched with the express purpose of preserving and sharing the rich story of Ceylon Tea with the world. The process of digital archival has continued for nearly two decades, ensuring the preservation of critical industry knowledge.
This initiative will ensure that this wealth of knowledge will be shared with aspiring planters, so that from the very beginning of their careers they will appreciate its uniqueness andbe invested with a sense of pride in the industry that they are about to enter.
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