California Researchers and Producers Explore Potential of Tea as a Crop

The University of California Kearney Research and Extension Center recently hosted a Tea Day for producers that focused on the feasibility of growing tea as a crop in California. “Tea could be one of the champion crops for the future of agriculture in California because it’s a high cash-value crop and a climate-resilient crop,” the Center’s Director Atef Swelam said. “We have found that tea is growing fantastically here under the Mediterranean climate of California.” According to the Center, tea could be a promising crop for growers facing limited water supplies and trying to make small-acreage production profitable. The University of California has planted 4,000 tea plants and has plans for more. Researchers will be studying them to determine optimal soil conditions, irrigation practices, disease and pest management strategies, and ways to reduce the labor demands of tea production.