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5)
Australia
Australia now grows 30% of its domestic consumption of tea.
It grows both the black and green varieties. The huge
Japanese company Ito En is the partner in these enterprises.
Black tea is the mass-market product and, in Australia, is
grown in the northern parts of the country. Green tea is
grown for Japan’s own home consumption.
This green tea industry is centred on Victoria although
Tasmania is actively trying to get in on the act. I visited
Audrey Gerber the scientist carrying out research work for
the Australian Green Tea Growers Association and Ito En. She
emphasised that all trials to develop tea in new areas
should be comprehensive; rushing was a chief cause of
initial failure. Too often plantings are rushed and the
results not properly
analysed. This creates an initial setback from which it is
difficult to recover. Tea, once properly established, is in
production for the extremely long term and the first 5-10
years are comparatively early days. Most growers and
scientists consider the planting phase of any project to
have been too quick with detrimental effects in the medium
term.
The green tea plants in Australia are of three varieties:
Yabukita (80% of total), Sayamakaori and Okuhikari. Yabukita
tends to produce the highest quality tea although
Sayamakaori yields slightly better in cooler climes. The
initial plants were all brought from Japan and then
propagated in Australia. The imported plants were treated
with methyl bromide to prevent entry of the Kanzawa mite and
other pests. This killed many of the imports but the
survivors were successfully propagated.
Although the green tea industry of Australia is centred on
Victoria (trials have been started in the south and the
north east of the State) Tasmania did some planting in 1993.
Climatic difficulties have included frost damage and lack of
suitable acid soil type free of organochlorine residue. The
crop’s first flush is ready in November – in Victoria – and
is susceptible to late frost at that time.
Harvesting can be either by hand or by semi-mechanized
methods. These latter are either hand held or mounted on
modified tractors. Hand picking produces the highest grades
of final product but labour costs are very high in
Australia. Two-man Japanese style harvesters, illustrated,
are used in small areas and a mounted tea-harvester, made in
North Queensland, is used on larger estates. Williames
Hi-Tech International Pty Ltd, in Victoria, are responsible
for some leading harvesting technology. The innovator and
owner of the business, Geoff Williames, is becoming
recognised in the world of tea.
Mechanised picking is suitable for black tea but not yet
really for the green variety. However a fascinating recent
development is the “floating” picker, which is a complete
break from other mechanised systems, and may be acceptable
for green tea.
It appeared to me as an outsider that the fundamental
mistake the Australians had made with their green tea
production was to link it almost totally to the Japanese
domestic market via Ito-En. |
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