History of Teak Plantation in Sri Lanka

World first managed teak plantation was started in 1680 in Sri Lanka during Dutch period. With the end of Dutch rule this plantation programme was stopped. Later 1883 the forest department under the British rule began teak plantation. They planned their first teak plantation at Batticaloa district and Attavilluwa at Puttlam district.

In Sri Lanka first private sector large scale commercially managed teak plantation, was started by Help Green [Pvt] Ltd in 1998.

Teak originated in Burma (Myanmar) now it is planted in humid tropical arias near the equator: part of India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, Trinidad-Tobago Costa Rica and Panama. Teak plant grows well only in small part of the world closer to the equator. In Sri Lanka teak grow well in dry zone.

Plantation Area

Teak plantation constitutes about 08% of the total timber plantation area in tropical climatic areas. About 94% of global teak plantation were in tropical Asia. About 4.5% of global teak plantation locate tropical Africa and tropical America and pacific island.

World teak plantation area  is estimated (2005) more than 3,246,000 hectare 1.7% areas of teak plantation locate in Sri Lanka.