TEA

TEA IS  ONE OF THE IMPORTANT DRINK CROPS OF THE WORLD.IT IS THE CHEAPEST ONE AND MOST DRUNK UNIVERSALLY.THE BRITISH ARE THE GREATEST TEA DRINKERS CONSUMING AN AVERAGE OF 4.5 KG PER HEAD PER ANNUM.DUE TO INCREASING POPULATION AREA UNDER TEA CULTIVATION AND PRODUCTION IS INCREASING RAPIDLY.. WORLD TEA PRODUCTION IN 1970 WAS 1.2 MILLION TONS WHICH REACHED ABOUT 3.9 MILLIOON TONS IN 2007.IN WORLD AREA UNDER TEA CULTIVATION IN 2007 WAS 2,856,226(2.8 MILLION HECTARES) AND PER HECTARE YIELD WAS 13,554KG.

      MAJOR FACTORS;
DESPITE THE FACT THAT TEA IS VERY RESISTANT TO A GREAT DIVERSITY OF PHYSICAL CONDITIONS IT REQUIRE CERTAIN OPTIMUM GEOGRAPHICAL CONDITIONS FOR ITS COMMERCIAL CULTIVATION.

        CLIMATE:
TEA PLANT DOES BEST IN WARM HUMID CLIMATE OF TROPICAL AND SUB TROPICAL ENVIRONMENT. IT CAN BE THRIVE FROM SEA LEVEL TO ELEVATION OF 7000 FEET (2100 METRES). THE HIGHER THE ELEVATION THE BETTER THE QUALITY. CLIMATE INFLUENCE UPON THE GROWTH OF TEA PLANTS IS TREMENDOUS BECAUSE IT DETERMINE NOT ONLY QUANTITY OF TEA PER PLANT BUT ALSO QUALITY.FROST IS ABSOLUTELY INJURIOUS FOR TEA PLANT GROWTH...

           TEMPERATURE :
TEA PLANT TRIVES BEST UNDER TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS THAT RANGES BETWEEN 13°C TO 24°C.TEMPERATURE BELOW 10°C AFFECTS THE YIELDS VERY BADLY.