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Japanese Green Tea Japanese Green Tea -
Continued Investigation into Commercial Production and
Development in Tasmania

A report for the Rural Industries
Research & Development Corporation

by Ms Angela Monks
Vegetables and Horticulture Branch
Department of Primary Industries Water and
Environment, Tasmania

June 2000

RIRDC Publication No 00/59
RIRDC Project No. DAT-31A






Executive Summary

In 1991 the Department of Primary Industries with the aid of RIRDC, initiated a project to investigate the viability of the commercial production of Japanese green tea in Tasmania.  This project is an ongoing study which has been split into a number of units each producing a major report which has been submitted to the relevant funding body.

The first project report submitted by the Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries to RIRDC was entitled “The Continued Investigation into the Commercial Production and Development of Japanese Green Tea (Camellia sinensis)” (DPIF 1997).

The 1997 report gave details on: preliminary field trials in Tasmania; literature searches on green tea; a preliminary production guide; a preliminary economic analysis; details of quality assessment and measurement; and a study of the market opportunities for green tea in South America.

A report was submitted in 1996 to the Horticultural Research and Development Corporation (HRDC) by the Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries entitled “Quality assessment and Market Evaluation of Tasmanian Green Tea for the South East Asian Market”.

The green tea project began with the importation of 6000 Camellia sinensis var sinensis plants from Japan.  The plants were placed into quarantine at the Kingston station (outside Hobart) in Tasmania.  After the plants had been in quarantine for twelve months the Quarantine Entomologist, during a routine inspection, found a single unidentified mite.  Quarantine regulations required that the plants be fumigated with methyl bromide and stay in quarantine for a further six months.  The fumigation treatment with methyl bromide proved lethal to many of the plants resulting in the death of nearly 60% of the imported plants.  This high mortality rate considerably reduced the availability of plant stock to establish field trials.

The three cultivars imported for Tasmanian trial work have shown marked differences in performance, yield and quality.  Yabukita, which is the most popular cultivar in Japan, performs well under Tasmanian conditions if the site is selected to suit its preference for warm early spring conditions and a long summer.  Yabukita propagates reasonably well with good root-striking and growth rates.  The quality of the tea that this cultivar produces in Tasmania has impressed the Japanese experts.

Sayamakaori is a vigorous plant producing the most biomass (material for processing) of the three cultivars.  It also produces roots during propagation faster than the other two cultivars with a comparatively higher strike rate.  The quality of the finished tea product is not as high as Yabukita but has still been well received.

Performance and tea quality of the third cultivar, Okuhikaori, falls between the other two cultivars.  This cultivar is a little more difficult to propagate and seems to require longer to complete the propagation cycle than the other two cultivars.

Site selection has proved to be critical in establishing green tea plantations.  Camellia sinensis var sinensis is highly sensitive to: aeolian and soil salt deposition; frosts and wind chill; and to mechanical wind damage, especially to the young leaves.  Most of the early trial sites had to be abandoned because of ongoing frost and salt deposition problems.

Only the Scottsdale site, established in 1993, continues to be productive and is now returning reasonably high yielding harvests.  The length of time taken in striking cuttings and growing seedlings from seed meant that there was a delay in establishing new sites.  The two new sites, one in the north and another in the south of the State, are not yet yielding any quantifiable harvests.

In Tasmania the most appropriate sites for the production of green tea appear at this stage to be either in the milder north-east or north-west regions of the State, depending upon the future location of a commercial processing plant.  Production in the south of the State will depend upon the performance of the cooler growing varieties introduced to the new trial sites and upon future cool climate cultivars being developed.

Assaying seedlings is being undertaken by the Department of Primary Industry, Water and Environment.  This may lead to the introduction of new cultivars for use in Tasmania and throughout Australia.  Research is being undertaken to determine whether cultivars can be produced with certain characteristics to enable them to cope better with different climatic conditions.  Early or seasonally late frosts in Tasmania have caused significant damage to new and established tree hedges, sometimes resulting in a complete loss of the first harvest.

There are a variety of market opportunities for green tea and its extracts, or by-products.  The extractive industry is growing and many companies are seeking natural alternatives to chemical components in products such as cosmetics and medicines.  Tea which has been picked but is rejected during processing because the material is deemed as being of poor quality, may in fact be suitable for use in the extractive industry.

During the course of this project a number of contacts have been made both nationally and internationally and the ‘green tea network’ is continually expanding.  These links are important in ensuring the long-term viability of commercial production through exploring new markets, researching and comparing different agronomic techniques and initiating investigations into new cultivar development.

Outcomes and Recommendations

• Site selection is of paramount importance in establishing a green tea plantation.  The plants, even when they have reached mature hedges, are susceptible to frost and wind damage which can significantly affect harvest returns.
• Propagation of green tea is relatively straight forward using clonal material (cuttings) or seedlings grown from seed collected from mother plants.
• Nursery crop care is important and plants being prepared for transplanting into the field must be of the right age and in a suitably vigorous state to cope with the stress of relocation.
• Harvesting of green tea can be carried out using a variety of machines and methods.  The technology is present in Australia to build large harvesters suitable for big enterprises.  Smaller tea farms can obtain equipment relative in size and budget to the enterprise.
• Information regarding tea harvesters from both Australia and overseas will continue to be sought and collated so that it can be passed to growers as required.
• The quality of the tea produced is dependent on the quality of the wet material harvested.  Timing of the harvest is critical in order to obtain the best prices for the finished product.  An increase in lignin content in the harvested material significantly reduces the quality of the tea, similarly any material damaged by frost affects the quality.
• The University study found that green tea has a rhythmic growth which allows for some predictions being made as to when flushes will occur.  Field observations have confirmed this aspect of green tea growth.
• Consistent and regular monitoring of the growth patterns of green tea plantations aids considerably in increasing economic returns.
• Processing Japanese green tea involves some technical expertise.  It is a matter of trial and error for the operator and there is a direct correlation between the operator’s gain in experience and an increase in the quality of the end product
• The purchase cost of plants does not have a significant affect on the internal rate of return.  However a reduction in the number of harvests from three to two does have an effect where plant prices are higher, making the enterprise uneconomical.
• An economic analysis model of green tea production shows the potential returns for the crop in Tasmania.  It has been calculated that an increase in productive area reduces the risks significantly, particularly where harvests might be lost to early frosts.
• Larger enterprises need to be encouraged or a grower co-operative for smaller enterprises would help to minimise risks and ensure a good internal rate of return.
• For a small enterprise the quality (and therefore the price of the end product) must be kept high with more than two harvests per annum in order to make the project economical.  A sale price of $75/kg will provide a good internal rate of return.
• Opportunities for further research include:
• increasing strike rates for Okuhikaori and Yabukita cultivars to help reduce the time required for propagation;
• investigation into the extractives industry for green tea by-products;
• organic production of green tea.

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Last updated: 7 September 2000
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