The farmer, the trader and the reason it all started with Merrill J. Fernando | Over a Cuppa with The World’s Most Experienced Teamaker – Part 1

This transcript was created automatically from the audio and checked for names. Minor errors may remain.

Over the years, Dilmah CEO, Dilhan C. Fernando, has interviewed personalities from various professional backgrounds. However, he had the rare honor of interviewing a very special guest, his father. Here are some of the topics they discussed exclusively on Tea Radio. There is always a first time and this is the first time that I have had the privilege of interviewing my father and it must happen on Tea Radio by Dilmah. So today, we have in the studio my father, Merrill J. Fernando, founder of Dilmah Tea. I have a few questions that I have always wanted to ask him and the first must be this. Tati and tati in our language means father.

Tati, you devoted your life to tea. How did this happen? Why did this happen? And how is it nearly 70 years since you first made that decision that you are still striving to change the world of tea? I thought I was inspired to develop my own brand of tea instead of selling raw material to traders in foreign countries who thrived and became millionaires on the sweat and toil of our farmers, of our workers. When I watched that, I said, there is something wrong in trade. Trade is the unfairest form of doing business. Traders, one goal is profit, profit at any cost. How many farmers and their workers are driven to hunger doesn't bother them.

How many lies they tell their consumers to sell their product is unbelievable. So I thought, why are we enriching foreign traders? Why can't we market our own tea in value added form? I was then the very young man, 24 years of age, following my visit, first visit to England's Mincing Lane. That was a dream which could never come true. However, divine inspiration guided me, helped me along. And after 34 years, I realized my dream. So my dream was to uplift the state of the industry, the tea industry, give the farmers, their workers and their families a better deal and a better future. And as I made, began to make money.

Coming from humble beginnings, I was very happy with small money. However, selling my own brand of tea brought me in contact with large sums of money. So that was too much for me to cope with. And I had to decide whether I want to become a wealthy rich man, flaunting my wealth or continue my way of life. So I had no difficulty in picking on the latter. That's all I was used to. I chose to share my earnings with the poor, disabled and the wider community. That decision came naturally. And what I have done with that is common knowledge. There you have it, my father, Dilmah founder, Merrill J. Fernando.