National Tea Production and Marketing Situation in March

In order to timely release the dynamics of national spring tea production and marketing situation in 2024 and provide guidance, China Tea Marketing Association has carried out research with provincial industry associations of major tea-producing provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government) across the country and formed an annual spring tea series report. The 2024 “National Tea Production and Marketing Situation in March” is now released as follows:

1. Climatic Condition

According to information released by the China Meteorological Administration, March was a month with high temperatures and little precipitation across the country. The average temperature is 6.0℃, 1.2℃ higher than the same period of the year. The average precipitation is 23.9 mm, which is 19.2% less than the same period of the year. The precipitation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and some parts of the southwest is less than Less than 2 to 8 percent.

Based on the feedback from various tea areas:

（1）The temperature is rising rapidly, and spring tea is abundant. In March, the country quickly got rid of the cold wave weather. The temperature rose quickly, and the tea garden quickly whipped up. Especially after entering into the late period, most tea areas in the country generally enter into the peak of spring tea production.

（Two）The precipitation is uneven, but the production is stable.In March, most tea areas of Jiangnan, South China and Southwest China had slightly less precipitation, while tea areas of Jiangbei had generally more abundant precipitation. There was no widespread drought and the tea production was stable before Ming Dynasty.

National Average Temperature Anomaly Distribution Map in March 2024（Unit: ℃）

Distribution Map of National Precipitation Anomaly Percentage in March 2024（Unit: %）

2. Production situation

（1）The picking and producing time is delayed, which affects the production cycle

In March, the scope of tea picking in Zhejiang, Sichuan, Guizhou, Hunan, Chongqing, Guangxi and other provinces has been further expanded; In mid-March, tea plantations in Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Hubei, Guangdong and other places began. In late March, the core production areas in Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Henan, Shaanxi, Gansu and other provinces are also beginning large-scale production. Shandong is expected in mid to late April.

In addition, according to the famous tea index of China Tea Industry Index – Spring Tea Picking Index: On March 7, Dafa Longjing entered into the picking season; On March 15, Biluochun in Dongting Mountain was officially picked, three days later than last year; Meitan Cuiya began to pick on the same day, two days later than last year. On March 20, Xihu Longjing began to pick, 7 days later than last year; On March 29, Xinyang Maojian was picked , one day later than last year; On April 1, Lu ‘an Guapian began to pick.

Overall, the picking and producing time is slightly later than that in previous years.

（2）The output increases rapidly and the quality is generally better

Due to more sunny and warm days, tea trees grow fast, leading to tea buds being not picked in time in Zhejiang, Jiangsu and other provinces. the production of high-end green tea decline. The tea gardens in other areas have recovered to a better state in mid-to-late March, and the output is generally stable, and has reached or exceeded the average level of previous years. Tea production in Guangxi, Sichuan, Guangdong and other places increased slightly. The national tea production in March 2024 was slightly higher than the same period last year.

Although the relatively low temperature weather in the early stage affected the growth rate of spring tea to a certain extent, the delay was conducive to the accumulation of nourishing substances. In March, the climate condition became better, coupled with the continuous upgrading of production and management technology, the quality of spring tea in 2024 is generally more excellent.

3. Marketing Situation

（1）Tea prices in producing areas encounter great downward pressure

In March, the prices of tea leaves and dry semifinished tea fell significantly compared with the same period in previous years. According to the investigation and analysis, the main factors are: 1.the expansion of tea planting area and the increase of production lead to the oversupply in the market; 2. Inventory backlog makes a wait-and-see situation and low acquisition intention of some tea merchants. In Zhenan Tea market, Xinchang China Tea Market and Mingshan World Tea Capital market, the trading volume of tea has declined.

（2）The consumption is weak and trading is not prosperous

According to the survey in the northern area, in terms of quality, spring tea is full of aroma and taste, and consumer feedback is generally good; In terms of sales, although the price of high-end famous green tea represented by Xihu Longjing and Huangshan Maofeng is slightly lower than that in previous years, the consumption is still shrinking due to the overall weakness of the market; The price of mid-range famous green tea, which has the largest proportion of sales in the market, fell slightly, and sales were relatively stable.

4. Forecast and suggestion

According to the China Meteorological Administration, the temperature will go high in April. Accordingly, it is expected that in April, spring tea production will be further increased, and large quantities of spring tea will be listed before and after the day of Guyu. In terms of sales, according to the experience of the past two years, near the end of the spring tea season, dealers and related enterprises are worried about missing the time of spring tea production and sales, so as to begin shopping spree, which may drive the rapid rise in the average price , and the first wave of tea production and sales is expected to come within the year.

Suggestions: Organize production in an orderly manner, expand production categories, extend the industrial chain, and actively expand sales; According to the weather conditions, pay attention to reasonable arrangement of harvesting time, as far as possible to ensure picking in time to ensure stable income of tea farmers.

For more news about Spring tea in China, please follow the official platforms of China Tea Marketing Association (http://www.ctma.com.cn) and Wechat official account (China Tea Marketing Association).

（Author: Mei Yu, Liang Xiao）