China Spring Tea Crop 2023

A few brief updates have come through on Spring tea harvests across some of the major tea-producing provinces in China.

In order to more clearly show the relation of harvest time frames as they relate to geographic location, the below harvest report summaries are organized according to previously described primary "belts" of tea production within mainland China.

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EASTERN BELT

Anhui

Harvest usually begins late March to early April, with the earliest teas available in the China domestic market early to mid-April.

Fujian

Xiapu County, Fujian Province saw Yuanxiao (Lantern Festival) tea harvests begin in early February.

Zhejiang

Harvesting of Yongjia's Wuniuzao variety in Zhejiang Province also began a few weeks ago, and was projected to be completed by mid-February. The Wuniuzao variety is considered one of Zhejiang's first to be ready for harvest.

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CENTRAL BELT

Hubei

Harvest (on average) begins mid-February to mid-March. No significant reports have come in as of date of publication.

Hunan

Harvest (on average) begins early April. No significant reports have come in as of date of publication.

Shaanxi

Harvest (on average) begins early March to early April. No significant reports have come in as of date of publication.

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WESTERN BELT

‍Guizhou

Shuicheng, Pu'an, and Qinglong in Guizhou Province are some of the earliest spring teas harvested among the major tea producing provinces. Their spring tea plucking period starts about 20 days earlier than most green tea harvests in other parts of the country, giving them first-mover advantages in domestic Spring tea sales. For reference, Pu'an County is 12,200 hectares. The teas of Pu'an and other other areas in Guizhou are important drivers of economic development and rural revitalization.

Sichuan

January 29, kicked off the harvest of an early flush variety known as Nazao No. 1 in Naxi District of Sichuan. The harvest for this variety is 10-15 days ahead of schedule.  On February 8, the Emei Shan area held its spring tea festival to promote tea tourism and the arrival of early spring teas.

Yunnan

Yunnan Province's subtropical monsoon climate means that spring tea harvests begin early, especially in Jiangcheng County. As the temperature rises, tens of thousands of acres of tea gardens in Jiangcheng County have gradually entered the spring tea picking period. By the end of December 2022, more than 1,300 ha of tea crop in Jiangcheng County had sprouted. By early January the harvest was in full swing. The 2022 spring harvest began on January 7 and yielded 1,655 tons in the first quarter of the year. With 2023 spring plucking ahead of schedule, Jiangcheng County anticipates a Q1 harvest of 1,700 tons.

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SOURCES

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/ToWQT5U6DKhaGKK8JKw3JA

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/wF0Rs67Emr8c0nOpxo67jg

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/RSHipXfC1VggVq46xLkU_g

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/AY9r9psst8g9WFNR7SFQAA

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