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Kenya,
host of the 2001 World Tea Convention, is a major supplier
(20%) to the UK. Problems of infrastructure are increasing,
roads and climate appear to be deteriorating.
In South Africa herbal teas form a major growth area. Black
tea is feasible where re-structured for efficiency. Paddock
tea in southwest Kwa Zulu Natal is an ambitious business
with associated growers sharing processing costs. The region
takes advantage of favourable rainfall and superb soils.
Further to the southwest in Eastern Cape is a Government run
operation nearer the coast. Here employment issues are a
serious hindrance to running efficiently.
I saw the flower and foliage operation of Pierre Talijaard
who exports direct to Europe and North America. The classic
“Fynbos” flora is cultivated and harvested year-round, and
compressed air assisted pruners were employed to good effect
in the packing shed. Mr Talijaard is a progressive
land-based businessman; recent
acquisitions to the business include a farm in California
and speculative forays to Chile.
Politically South African growers sometimes take the view
that the balancing out of views within the post-apartheid
ruling party will take years, and that only then will land
values stabilise and confidence grow. In the meantime, risk
takers are increasing the scale of their business and
capitalising through exports by a weak Rand (£1-R15). There
are tremendous opportunities in Southern Africa but with
associated risks.
Malawi has established a successful tea industry, brought
about by the Tea Research Foundation. Pioneering studies
were undertaken at Mulangi; the often debated shade trees
were proven to be unnecessary in most situations. The
scientific approach to tea has benefited global tea progress
well beyond Africa.
3) U.S.A.
The States has just one established tea garden, Charleston
Tea Plantation on Maybank Highway, Wadmalaw Island, South
Carolina – just 18 miles south of Charleston. This is always
on the threshold of great things but frequently gets mired
in difficulty over business direction. As Americas first
three millionaires were involved in the Tea trade, there are
tantalising prospects which may yet come about.
The Charleston Tea Plantation was started in 1987 when Mack
Fleming, the only practising tea horticulturist in the
States and Bill Hall, one of America’s few professional tea
tasters, bought the property from Thomas J Lipton Inc.
Previously Mack Fleming was director of research for the
Thomas J Lipton company.
The farm is 51 ha with half of it currently in production.
The harvesting season is from May to October and free
walking tours are given on the first Saturday of those
months. The tea’s growing, harvesting, drying, grading and
packaging all take place on the plantation.
The tea plantation faces foreclosure, however, if one of the
two partners does not succeed in a settlement with the
other. Basically they regret that their partnership
agreement is so difficult to dissolve. |
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