China Spring Harvest Update March 9, 2021

The past 40 days have seen the earliest tea harvests begun, and other developments in Chinese Spring tea:

• Smaller, more localized areas of Chongqing and Guangxi began harvesting as early as February 3rd
• February 12th marked the beginning of the Year of the Ox on the traditional Chinese calendar

Established areas with more premium teas are also beginning to report on harvest conditions:

• Hubei's Wu Feng green tea production areas report good weather conditions and daily going rates of $184 - $462 per kg of finished tea
• Guizhou also saw good weather and rates of about $155 - $185 per kg of Meitan Cuiya
• Other areas in Anhui, Fujian, and Zhejiang may have begun some initial harvesting, but have not reported any prices for finished teas
• Additionally, most areas are reporting having a sufficient labor force available to currently support harvests

China's domestic market is known to place a premium on teas harvested before QingMing (April 4th, 5th, or 6th), so earlier Spring teas can often fetch higher prices. The most exquisite Longjing (Dragonwell) teas have been sold for more than their weight in gold in years past.

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